Miniaturizing UAVs is an important issue in view of reducing the logistic footprint required to operate unmanned aerial systems (UAS). Developing autonomous smaller vehicles would open the way to UAV swarming and would allow for cheaper, or even disposable flying vehicles. However, downscaling UAVs still faces the problem of limited endurance because of the energy density required by the propulsion set. The presentation will be address a series of technical challenges associated to the design of mini- and micro- air vehicles for practical applications. Several examples will be given and discussed. The first example is the design of a VTOL drone for Mars exploration under the stringent constraint of a highly rarefied atmosphere. The second example will describe the optimization method as applied to maximizing the propulsive efficiency and minimizing the acoustic signature of micro-rotors, as applied to MAV missions requiring covertness . A third example referring to fixed-wing long-endurance mini-UAVs will be discussed. The idea is to benefit from the energy contained in the perturbed atmosphere by following specific trajectories as inspired by the observation of the Albatross flight. Yet, as opposed to natural flyers, UAVs can be powered so as to allow for thrust-augmented dynamic soaring which can lead to a drastic growth of the UAV flight range. Finally, various research projects conducted at ISAE-SUPAERO will be described and illustrated, such as: the design process and control laws of convertible MAVs capable of flying in airplane or helicopter modes and a new "deep learning" method as applied to enhancing autopilot safety.

 

Jean-Marc Moschetta graduated from ISAE-SUPAERO in 1987 and obtained his PhD degree in Aerodynamics in 1991. Since 2000, he has been a full professor of Aerodynamics at ISAE-SUPAERO and a consultant at ONERA. He is currently the head of the UAV program at ISAE-SUPAERO and director of the MAV Research Center, a French research network on MAVs, which fosters a dozen research laboratories in the South West of France. Jean-Marc Moschetta has published numerous papers on the design and the aerodynamics of MAVs and is currently a member of the editorial board for the International Journal of MAVs (IJMAV). From 2001, he organized or co-organized several MAV conferences and will host next year edition in Toulouse, France (www.imav2017.org).