Real-time Turbulence Recognition and Reporting System for Unmanned Systems

In the Phase I SBIR program, Systems Technology, Inc. developed and demonstrated the prototype Systems Technology, Inc. Turbulence REcognition AlgorithM (STREAM), a low-computational-overhead frequency-domain-based algorithm that accurately estimates aircraft turbulence intensity in real-time. STREAM is intended to be an aircraft onboard application to estimate turbulence intensity in real-time, sending those estimates to a ground station to inform personnel for better informed decision making. Under this proposed Phase II program, STREAM will be vastly matured and demonstrated to be suitable for UAS operation via flight testing with STREAM imbedded onboard a UAS with real-time data telemetry to a ground station with custom displays. Moreover, STREAM will be shown to be relevant to specific Navy platforms via extensive analysis with Navy flight test data. Existing turbulence standards and specifications will be formally assessed for their application to the ever-evolving UAS technology and this assessment will include flight tests designed for assessment of UAS handling qualities with active turbulence. Other applications of STREAM will also be explored including using turbulence estimation for active control and application to non-fixed-wing aircraft. At the end of the Phase II program, STREAM will be well-positioned for transition to relevant Navy platforms and the commercial UAS market.