Compact Touch-Capable Drone for Non-Destructive and Visual Inspection in Elevated and Small Spaces

Pitch Aeronautics has developed a unique cyclorotor drone (Astria) optimized for up-close and touch-based robotics, not simply remote sensing. We propose miniaturizing this platform to provide a confined-space inspection drone capable of long-endurance and placement of the Navy's visual and touch-placement non-destructive inspections (NDI) sensors. This platform, Astria-Mini, allows long endurance by maximizing aerodynamic lifting area under the given constraints. Our patented lateral control via cyclorotors enables both stable visual inspections and touch-based dry film thickness evaluation of paint, eddy current weld assessment, and other NDI techniques. The Astria-Mini configuration dramatically increases flight stability and wind tolerance by integrating a cyclorotor. The cyclorotor can near-instantaneously provide lateral thrust to compensate for wind disturbances. We project the capability to maintain precision flight in winds exceeding 20mph. Moreover, the drone configuration allows the 1lb+ payload to be mounted on the side of the drone platform. Both provide a better viewing angle for remote sensing (video, LIDAR, etc.) and allow touch-based NDI sensors (ultra-sound, eddy current, ground penetrating radar, etc.) to contact the hull without disturbing the lift propellers. Astria-Mini's hexacopter configuration increases the lifting propeller surface area within the solicited square constraints, which increases the power loading by reducing the disk loading.