Small UAS and Delivery Drones: Challenges and Opportunities The 38th Alexander A. Nikolsky Honorary Lecture

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Inderjit Chopra
Keyword(s):  
High Energy ◽  
High Energy Density ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Unmanned Aerial Systems ◽  
Technology Gaps ◽  
Military Applications ◽  
Challenges And Opportunities ◽  
Transmission Capability ◽  
Aerial Systems ◽  
High Payoff

During the past two decades, there has been major growth of small-unmanned aerial vehicles (sUAV) for hobbyists and rapidly expanding commercial and military applications. The impetus for this dramatic expansion has been due to the explosion of mobile technology in terms of microelectronics, data processing and transmission capability, high-energy-density batteries, miniaturized integrated programmable chips, and innovations in computer vision and videography/photography. However, there are many challenges to overcome before these small unmanned aerial systems (sUAS) can be used for routine commercial and military applications, which include reliability, sizable payload and range, stringent navigation/guidance requirements, and precision takeoff/landing and robust autonomous flight in constrained and low-altitude gusty environment. The objective of this paper is to cover state-of-the-art of sUAS and delivery drones, identify technology gaps and key scientific barriers, and present future research needs for high payoff applications.

scholarly journals A Compact Review of Laser Welding Technologies for Amorphous Alloys

Metals ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (12) ◽  
pp. 1690
Author(s):  
Jian Qiao ◽  
Peng Yu ◽  
Yanxiong Wu ◽  
Taixi Chen ◽  
Yixin Du ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Amorphous Alloy ◽  
Laser Welding ◽  
Amorphous Alloys ◽  
High Energy ◽  
Industrial Applications ◽  
High Energy Density ◽  
Current Status ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Technological Parameters ◽  
Fast Heating

Amorphous alloys have emerged as important materials for precision machinery, energy conversion, information processing, and aerospace components. This is due to their unique structure and excellent properties, including superior strength, high elasticity, and excellent corrosion resistance, which have attracted the attention of many researchers. However, the size of the amorphous alloy components remains limited, which affects industrial applications. Significant developments in connection with this technology are urgently needed. Laser welding represents an efficient welding method that uses a laser beam with high energy-density for heating. Laser welding has gradually become a research hotspot as a joining method for amorphous alloys due to its fast heating and cooling rates. In this compact review, the current status of research into amorphous-alloy laser welding technology is discussed, the influence of technological parameters and other welding conditions on welding quality is analyzed, and an outlook on future research and development is provided. This paper can serve as a useful reference for both fundamental research and engineering applications in this field.

scholarly journals Characteristics and Trends of Research on New Energy Vehicle Reliability Based on the Web of Science

2018 ◽  
Vol 10 (10) ◽  
pp. 3560 ◽  
Author(s):  
Xian Zhao ◽  
Siqi Wang ◽  
Xiaoyue Wang
Keyword(s):  
Electric Vehicle ◽  
Energy Demand ◽  
High Performance ◽  
High Energy ◽  
Research Field ◽  
High Energy Density ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Charging System ◽  
New Energy ◽  
New Energy Vehicle

In order to satisfy the increasing energy demand and deal with the environmental problem caused by the conventional energy vehicle; the new energy vehicle (NEV), especially the electric vehicle (EV), has attracted increasing attention and the corresponding research has developed rapidly in recent years. The electric vehicle requires a battery with high energy density and frequent charging. In order to ensure high performance of the electric vehicle; the reliability of its charging system is extremely important. In this paper; an overview of the research on electric vehicle charging system reliability from 1998 to 2017 is presented from a bibliometric perspective. This study provides a comprehensive analysis of the current research climate and the emerging trends from the following four aspects: basic characteristics of publication outputs; including annual publication outputs and document types; collaboration analysis of countries/territories; institutions and authors; co-citation analysis of cited authors and cited references; co-occurrence analysis of subjects and keywords. By using CiteSpace; the collaboration relationship; co-citation and co-occurrence networks are shown clearly. According to the analysis results; studies in this research field will keep developing rapidly in the near future and several future research directions are proposed in the conclusions.

Comparing Counts of Park Users With a Wearable Video Device and an Unmanned Aerial System

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-8
Author(s):  
Richard R. Suminski ◽  
Gregory M. Dominick ◽  
Matthew Saponaro
Keyword(s):  
Repeated Measures ◽  
Intraclass Correlation ◽  
Correlation Coefficients ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Unmanned Aerial Systems ◽  
Park Use ◽  
Intraclass Correlation Coefficients ◽  
Potential Benefits ◽  
Absolute Agreement ◽  
Aerial Systems

Evidence suggests that video captured with a wearable video device (WVD) may augment or supplant traditional methods for assessing park use. Unmanned aerial systems (UASs) are used to assess human activity, but research employing them for park assessments is sparse. Therefore, this study compared park user counts between a WVD and UAS. A diverse set of 33 amenities (e.g., playground) in three parks were videoed simultaneously by one researcher wearing a WVD and another operating the UAS. Assessments were done at 12 p.m. and 7 p.m. on weekends, with one park evaluated on two occasions 7 days apart. Two investigators independently reviewed videos and reached consensus on the counts of individuals at each amenity. Intraclass correlation coefficients (ICCs) were used to determine intra- and interrater reliabilities. A total of 404 (M = 4.7; SD = 9.6) and 389 (M = 4.5; SD = 9.0) individuals were counted in the UAS and WVD videos, respectively. Absolute agreement was 86% (74/86) and 100% when no individuals were using the amenity. Whether using all 86 videos or only videos having people (48 videos), ICCs indicated excellent reliability (ICC = .99; p < .001). The totals seen for the repeated measures were UAS = 146 and WVD = 136 for Day 1 and UAS = 169 and WVD = 161 for Day 2. Intrarater reliability was excellent for the UAS (ICC = .92; p < .001) and good for the WVD (ICC = .89; p < .001). Disagreement was mainly due to obstructions—people behind or under structures. This study provides support for the use of UASs for counting park users and future research examining the potential benefits of video analysis for assessing park use.

Lithium Dendrite Growth Process and Research Progress of its Inhibition Methods

2021 ◽  
Vol 1027 ◽  
pp. 42-47
Author(s):  
Hao Ran Zheng
Keyword(s):  
Growth Process ◽  
Specific Capacity ◽  
Development Trend ◽  
High Energy ◽  
High Energy Density ◽  
Research Progress ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Battery Life ◽  
Lithium Dendrites ◽  
Lithium Dendrite

Metal lithium anodes, with extremely high specific capacity, low density, and lowest potential, are considered to be the most promising anode materials for next-generation high-energy density batteries. However, in the process of repeated plating and stripping of lithium, lithium dendrites are easily grown on the surface of the metal lithium anode, which greatly reduces the capacity of the battery, even causes hidden safety risks and shortens the battery life. This paper reviews the modification methods of lithium anodes based on the growth process of lithium dendrites, and introduces several current modification methods, including electrolyte additives, artificial SEI and new structure of lithium anodes. Finally, the future research direction and development trend of metal lithium anodes are prospected.

scholarly journals Unmanned Aerial Systems for Investigating the Polar Atmospheric Boundary Layer—Technical Challenges and Examples of Applications

Atmosphere ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 11 (4) ◽  
pp. 416 ◽  
Author(s):  
Astrid Lampert ◽  
Barbara Altstädter ◽  
Konrad Bärfuss ◽  
Lutz Bretschneider ◽  
Jesper Sandgaard ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Boundary Layer ◽  
Atmospheric Boundary Layer ◽  
Low Temperatures ◽  
Open Water ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Unmanned Aerial Systems ◽  
Research Activities ◽  
Aerial Systems ◽  
The Impact

Unmanned aerial systems (UAS) fill a gap in high-resolution observations of meteorological parameters on small scales in the atmospheric boundary layer (ABL). Especially in the remote polar areas, there is a strong need for such detailed observations with different research foci. In this study, three systems are presented which have been adapted to the particular needs for operating in harsh polar environments: The fixed-wing aircraft M 2 AV with a mass of 6 kg, the quadrocopter ALICE with a mass of 19 kg, and the fixed-wing aircraft ALADINA with a mass of almost 25 kg. For all three systems, their particular modifications for polar operations are documented, in particular the insulation and heating requirements for low temperatures. Each system has completed meteorological observations under challenging conditions, including take-off and landing on the ice surface, low temperatures (down to −28 ∘ C), icing, and, for the quadrocopter, under the impact of the rotor downwash. The influence on the measured parameters is addressed here in the form of numerical simulations and spectral data analysis. Furthermore, results from several case studies are discussed: With the M 2 AV, low-level flights above leads in Antarctic sea ice were performed to study the impact of areas of open water within ice surfaces on the ABL, and a comparison with simulations was performed. ALICE was used to study the small-scale structure and short-term variability of the ABL during a cruise of RV Polarstern to the 79 ∘ N glacier in Greenland. With ALADINA, aerosol measurements of different size classes were performed in Ny-Ålesund, Svalbard, in highly complex terrain. In particular, very small, freshly formed particles are difficult to monitor and require the active control of temperature inside the instruments. The main aim of the article is to demonstrate the potential of UAS for ABL studies in polar environments, and to provide practical advice for future research activities with similar systems.

scholarly journals Species-Level Vegetation Mapping in a Himalayan Treeline Ecotone Using Unmanned Aerial System (UAS) Imagery

2018 ◽  
Vol 7 (11) ◽  
pp. 445 ◽  
Author(s):  
Niti Mishra ◽  
Kumar Mainali ◽  
Bharat Shrestha ◽  
Jackson Radenz ◽  
Debendra Karki
Keyword(s):  
Extreme Environments ◽  
Species Level ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Unmanned Aerial Systems ◽  
Object Based ◽  
Ecological Patterns ◽  
Geographic Object ◽  
The Cost ◽  
Aerial Systems ◽  
The Himalaya

Understanding ecological patterns and response to climate change requires unbiased data on species distribution. This can be challenging, especially in biodiverse but extreme environments like the Himalaya. This study presents the results of the first ever application of Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS) imagery for species-level mapping of vegetation in the Himalaya following a hierarchical Geographic Object Based Image Analysis (GEOBIA) method. The first level of classification separated green vegetated objects from the rest with overall accuracy of 95%. At the second level, seven cover types were identified (including four woody vegetation species). For this, the suitability of various spectral, shape and textural features were tested for classifying them using an ensemble decision tree algorithm. Spectral features alone yielded ~70% accuracy (kappa 0.66) whereas adding textural and shape features marginally improved the accuracy (73%) but at the cost of a substantial increase in processing time. Contrast in plant morphological traits was the key to distinguishing nearby stands as different species. Hence, broad-leaved versus fine needle leaved vegetation were mapped more accurately than structurally similar classes such as Rhododendron anthopogon versus non-photosynthetic vegetation. Results highlight the potential and limitations of the suggested UAS-GEOBIA approach for detailed mapping of plant communities and suggests future research directions.

scholarly journals Subjective Measurement of Trust: Is It on the Level?

2019 ◽  
Vol 63 (1) ◽  
pp. 212-216
Author(s):  
Jiajun Wei ◽  
Matthew L. Bolton ◽  
Laura Humphrey
Keyword(s):  
Maximum Level ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Unmanned Aerial Systems ◽  
Critical Systems ◽  
Safety Critical ◽  
Search Tasks ◽  
Trust In Automation ◽  
Safety Critical Systems ◽  
Aerial Systems ◽  
Ordinal Level

Psychometrics are increasingly being used to evaluate trust in the automation of safety-critical systems. There is no consensus on what the highest level of measurement is for psychometric trust. This is important as the level of measurement determines what mathematics and statistics can be meaningfully applied to ratings. In this work, we introduce a new method for determining what the maximum level of measurement is for psychometric ratings. We use this to assess the level of measurement of trust in automation using human ratings about the behavior of unmanned aerial systems performing search tasks. Results show that trust is best represented at an ordinal level and that it can be treated as interval in most situations. It is unlikely that trust in automation ratings are ratio. We discuss these results, their implications, and future research.

scholarly journals Recycling Strategies for Ceramic All-Solid-State Batteries—Part I: Study on Possible Treatments in Contrast to Li-Ion Battery Recycling

Metals ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (11) ◽  
pp. 1523
Author(s):  
Lilian Schwich ◽  
Michael Küpers ◽  
Martin Finsterbusch ◽  
Andrea Schreiber ◽  
Dina Fattakhova-Rohlfing ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Energy Storage ◽  
Solid State ◽  
Energy Density ◽  
Lithium Ion ◽  
High Energy ◽  
High Energy Density ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Energy Storage Devices ◽  
Solid State Batteries ◽  
All Solid State Batteries

In the coming years, the demand for safe electrical energy storage devices with high energy density will increase drastically due to the electrification of the transportation sector and the need for stationary storage for renewable energies. Advanced battery concepts like all-solid-state batteries (ASBs) are considered one of the most promising candidates for future energy storage technologies. They offer several advantages over conventional Lithium-Ion Batteries (LIBs), especially with regard to stability, safety, and energy density. Hardly any recycling studies have been conducted, yet, but such examinations will play an important role when considering raw materials supply, sustainability of battery systems, CO2 footprint, and general strive towards a circular economy. Although different methods for recycling LIBs are already available, the transferability to ASBs is not straightforward due to differences in used materials and fabrication technologies, even if the chemistry does not change (e.g., Li-intercalation cathodes). Challenges in terms of the ceramic nature of the cell components and thus the necessity for specific recycling strategies are investigated here for the first time. As a major result, a recycling route based on inert shredding, a subsequent thermal treatment, and a sorting step is suggested, and transferring the extracted black mass to a dedicated hydrometallurgical recycling process is proposed. The hydrometallurgical approach is split into two scenarios differing in terms of solubility of the ASB-battery components. Hence, developing a full recycling concept is reached by this study, which will be experimentally examined in future research.

scholarly journals Shape Memory Alloys and Polymers for MEMS/NEMS Applications: Review on Recent Findings and Challenges in Design, Preparation, and Characterization

Metals ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (3) ◽  
pp. 415
Author(s):  
Ivo Stachiv ◽  
Eduardo Alarcon ◽  
Miroslav Lamac
Keyword(s):  
Shape Memory Alloys ◽  
Shape Memory ◽  
High Energy ◽  
High Energy Density ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Multilayered Structures ◽  
Critical Issues ◽  
Future Research Directions ◽  
Tunable Metamaterial

Rapid progress in material science and nanotechnology has led to the development of the shape memory alloys (SMA) and the shape memory polymers (SMP) based functional multilayered structures that, due to their capability to achieve the properties not feasible by most natural materials, have attracted a significant attention from the scientific community. These shape memory materials can sustain large deformations, which can be recovered once the appropriate value of an external stimulus is applied. Moreover, the SMAs and SMPs can be reprogrammed to meet several desired functional properties. As a result, SMAs and SMPs multilayered structures benefit from the unprecedented physical and material properties such as the shape memory effect, superelasticity, large displacement actuation, changeable mechanical properties, and the high energy density. They hold promises in the design of advanced functional micro- and nano-electro-mechanical systems (MEMS/NEMS). In this review, we discuss the recent understanding and progress in the fields of the SMAs and SMPs. Particular attention will be given to the existing challenges, critical issues, limitations, and achievements in the preparation and characterization of the SMPs and NiTi-based SMAs thin films, and their heterostructures for MEMS/NEMS applications including both experimental and computational approaches. Examples of the recent MEMS/NEMS devices utilizing the unique properties of SMAs and SMPs such as micropumps, microsensors or tunable metamaterial resonators are highlighted. In addition, we also introduce the prospective future research directions in the fields of SMAs and SMPs for the nanotechnology applications.

Poly(vinylidene fluoride) Interleaves for Multifunctional Fiber Reinforced Composites

2012 ◽  
Vol 77 ◽  
pp. 138-145
Author(s):  
Gregory J. Ehlert ◽  
Hai Xiong Tang ◽  
Natalie R. Meeks ◽  
Henry A. Sodano
Keyword(s):  
Energy Storage ◽  
Polyvinylidene Fluoride ◽  
Ad Hoc ◽  
Vinylidene Fluoride ◽  
Breakdown Strength ◽  
High Energy ◽  
High Energy Density ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Carbon Fiber Composites ◽  
Structural Reinforcement

The integration of energy storage into structural multifunctional materials has found use in a wide variety of applications, such as future air and ground vehicles. However, the present realization of these materials cannot be used to increase the structural properties thus limiting its future use in these applications. Here, we developed a novel multifunctional composite material using polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) interleaves in carbon fiber composites. The carbon fibers function as both the structural reinforcement as well as the electrodes for the dielectric polymer. It has shown that energy storage functionality can be added into the composites with no reduction in the short beam shear strength. Currently, the breakdown strength is low due to challenges in the processing of the composites and the potential for regions of reduced thickness during pressing. In future research, the manufacturing process of the composites will be investigated to improve the breakdown strength in order to obtain high energy density in addition to preserving the outstanding mechanical properties. This new multifunctional material will open a door to the development of advanced structures that distribute energy storage throughout the composite thus eliminating their current ad hoc implementation.

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