Control-Configured Concepts for Low Cost Air Cargo Delivery

"The objective of this proposal is to develop a low-cost air cargo delivery systemthat combines a very simple airframe/pallet design with a low-cost "embeddedelectronics" guidance system. Although various airframe possibilities will beconsidered, all will be UAV-type systems, guided based on feedback informationrather than data acquired before the drop (using dropsondes, for instance). Ourgoal is to provide an alternative to winds aloft estimation, making the costtractable through a low cost embedded avionics package (EAP) developed by MIT andcommercialized by Nascent Technology Corporation (NTC). During Phase I we will showthat guiding a drop vehicle using low-cost on-board electronics, rather thangathering information before a parachute drop can achieve longer range, higheraccuracy and higher survivability. In addition, we hope to use very simple airframedesigns to reduce cost, subsequently applying flight augmentation and automaton-based UAV guidance methods (also recently developed at MIT) to maintain performance. This proposal is for a new method for military, humanitarian, and disaster reliefairdrop that is more accurate, enabling airdrop in locations previously unavailable(cities, exceedingly rough terrain, oil platforms, ship-at-sea emergencies). Costreduction, increased accuracy, and increased survivability of airdrop are sought.In addition, successful development of a low-cost avionics system would haveapplications in o