What military and civilian tasks will modified drones be able to solve?
Russian scientists have proposed a new solution for actively suppressing the shaking of laser guidance devices on light unmanned aerial vehicles. The stabilization system includes a control unit, a vibration detector, and electric drives that operate out of phase and dampen the resulting pulses. Development tests have shown a 20-30% reduction in the spread of the laser beam. The introduction of the innovation will reduce the weight of the UAV by 40-50%, which will make it possible to increase the flight range or the amount of payload.
Russian scientists have proposed a new solution for actively suppressing the shaking of laser guidance devices on light unmanned aerial vehicles. The stabilization system includes a control unit, a vibration detector, and electric drives that operate out of phase and dampen the resulting pulses. Development tests have shown a 20-30% reduction in the spread of the laser beam. The introduction of the innovation will reduce the weight of the UAV by 40-50%, which will make it possible to increase the flight range or the amount of payload.
How to reduce drone vibrations
Scientists from the Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology have proposed a solution to reduce the vibration of a laser guidance system on drones weighing up to 5 kg. The development was named "Dronel".
According to the creators, in unmanned aerial vehicles, laser guidance is one of the most common methods of targeting. In this technology, the laser beam illuminates an object, after which the equipment detects the reflected signal and focuses on it. In such systems, the key problem is vibrations, which cause the laser spot to spread, which reduces the accuracy of guidance.
— During the flight of a drone, fluctuations occur, which are caused by wind, pressure drops, propellers, engines, and many other factors. Usually, complex gyroscopic systems are used to compensate for them, which entails an increase in the mass and cost of vehicles, as well as a decrease in flight range and maneuverability. In contrast to the described approaches, our group has proposed methods for active vibration suppression," Artem Pyankov, project manager and a student at the Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology, told Izvestia.
He explained that the development includes a detector that detects vibrations, and electromagnets that operate in antiphase and extinguish the resulting pulses. Relatively speaking, during the correction process, data from the detector is sent to the control unit, from where a signal is sent to the electric drives. They generate feedback pulses to compensate for vibrations. As a result, the system holds the laser device in a fixed position.
According to the expert, this design makes it possible to dispense with a complex set of mechanical devices that help the guidance system to maintain a stationary state. Therefore, its implementation will make it possible to reduce the weight of drones by 40-50%, which will increase the payload and flight range. The cost of manufacturing drones will also decrease.
Currently, the designer said, a flight prototype of the stabilization system has been manufactured. It was tested in the field. Testing took place on domestic aircraft-type UAVs. The results showed that the application of the development reduces the laser spot by 20-30%.
Where high precision drones are required
According to Artyom Pyankov, in addition to military topics, the proposed systems may also be in demand in civilian projects. In particular, solutions have now been developed for the use of aircraft drones equipped with laser communication devices to organize communications in conditions where the use of traditional means is impossible. For example, during natural disasters, the rapid deployment of communications using drones will ensure the coordination of rescue services.
According to the developer, another promising direction is measuring the thickness of ice from a drone using a laser beam. This will help ensure the safety of navigation and prevent ship accidents in the waters of the Northern Sea Route. Drones equipped with high-precision laser systems can also be used to scan and analyze the condition of buildings, mines and other infrastructure facilities.
— Laser targeting is used in many fields, since the accuracy of such systems is an order of magnitude higher than those operating in the radio range. This applies to any surveillance systems that are used from mobile media. For example, lasers play an important role in automatic landing systems, range measurement, optical data transmission and other areas where high accuracy is important," Konstantin Kredenko, editor—in-chief of Vestnik GLONASS magazine, commented to Izvestia.
The expert noted that the proposed developments may find further application in other devices where vibration dependence is high. For example, in self-driving cars. At the same time, reducing the weight of internal equipment is always an important task for flying vehicles.
— In recent years, significant progress has been made in the technology of unmanned aerial vehicles, which opens up new areas for their application. Including in the military field. Vibrations are one of the main problems that arise in this case. This is especially true for light drones due to their mass. In addition, some artillery shells are equipped with laser homing systems," military expert Yuri Lyamin explained to Izvestia.
He stressed that the spread of the laser spot and the inaccuracy of targeting can lead to the fact that the object will not be hit and the drone will die in vain, and the next chance for an attack may not come soon. Therefore, a 20-30% improvement in guidance can significantly improve the effectiveness of combat operations.
Andrey Korshunov, Yulia Leonova
