Design of an All-Terrain Aerial Robotic Interface (ATARI) as a Collaborative Platform for UAVs
Rebecca Gilligan · AIAA SCITECH 2023 Forum · 2023
Autonomous missions typically involve multimodal aspects in which teaming air and ground vehicles with differing capabilities can increase the efficiency of operation. Such collaboration can accommodate more complex missions by better allocating each vehicles’ resources to complete complex tasks. This research will investigate the benefits of combining the strengths of the air and ground domains to extend the task capabilities and improve the efficiency of operations. Specifically, an Unmanned Ground Vehicle will serve as a mobile, leveling, landing platform for an Unmanned Aerial Vehicle, allowing it to takeoff and land on uneven terrain, and increase useful flight time. Future topics of interest for the system include swappable payloads, solar charging, and adding manipulators. This paper focuses on the design of the combined air-ground system, the systems engineering of the project, and current construction of the prototype vehicles.