Unlimited Flight Time
The UC Irvine Police Department (UCIPD) request helicopters from Orange County during an emergency crisis such as active shootings, fires, or search and rescue to provide aerial vision where needed. Aerial vision allow officers to get a better view of the situation from above. However, during such an emergency, helicopters are not guaranteed to be available as Orange County only own two of them. This can prove detrimental during a time when every resource need to be utilized to ensure the safety of students and faculty members of UC Irvine.
The mission of our team is to provide UCIPD with a tethered UAV to be used during an emergency on campus. We believe that a tethered UAV can provide a simple and cost effective method to assist officers in responding to incidents around campus compared to traditional helicopters. While it takes helicopters at least 30 minutes to arrive on campus from John Wayne Airport, a tethered UAV can be deployed in about 3 minutes. Furthermore, helicopters require high-cost maintenance and refueling, while a tethered UAV is powered using electricity and require less maintenance.
The goal of the team is to construct a tethering system that can provide theoretically unlimited power to a DJI Inspire 1 quadcopter. The tethering system will consist of a power cable connecting the power source to the DJI Inspire 1 to provide for unlimited flight time. The tethering system will implement a tensioning system to provide constant tension between the cable and UAV to prevent interference during flight operation.
By June 8, 2018, we will construct a sellable Minimum Viable Product consisting of a portable, tension-controlled tethering system with 200 ft of wire attached to a DJI Inspire 1 quadcopter to be used by the UC Irvine Police Department during a campus emergency.
The tether system provides a fast, simple, and cost-effective method to assist UCIPD in responding to any emergency situation on campus by providing a clear view of the perimeter from the sky for an unlimited amount of time. By locating a power outlet or using a power generator, the UAV can be powered from the ground, eliminating the need to swap batteries during mid-flight. The time saved from using a tethered UAV can be the difference in saving a life or locating a suspect during high-risk situations.
While the short term goal of our project is to successfully sell our MVP tethering system to UCIPD, we hope to see this product expand into a permanent program that will implement tethered UAV into emergency operations and train officers in the procedures of proficient flight control. We also hope that future MAE undergraduate students take interest in our project and continue to improve and add upon our first generation design.
Last Name | First Name | UCI E-mail | Major | Grad Qtr |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nubla | Tristine | tnubla@uci.edu | MAE | S18 |
| Ibarra | Francisco | francii@uci.edu | MAE | S18 |
| Ta | Tommy | tyta@uci.edu | MAE | S18 |
| Wong | Matthew | matthlw1@uci.edu | MAE | S18 |
| Ferido | Amross | aferido@uci.edu | MAE | S18 |
| Malik | Hamza | hsmalik@uci.edu | MAE | S18 |
Spring Week 3 Project Tether XVIII – Extended Flight Time Test
April 21, 2018Week 8 Drone Tethering Team – MVP Prototype
March 2, 2018Week 7 Drone Tethering Team – Approaching MVP Prototype
February 24, 2018Week 4 Drone Tethering Team – POC to MVP Prototype
February 8, 2018
Name: Tristine Nubla
Email: tnubla@uci.edu
Team Lead
Name: Francisco Ibarra
Email: francii@uci.edu
Safety Manager
Name: Tommy Ta
Email: tyta@uci.edu
Document Manager
Name: Matthew Wong
Email: matthlw1@uci.edu
Purchasing Manager
Name: Amross Ferido
Email: aferido@uci.edu
Project Manager
Name: Hamza Malik
Email: hsmalik@uci.edu
Team Member
Initial Project Information
Project ID#
MAE0161
Course Code
MAE 195, Course Code 19372
Project Type
Industry Projects
Field of Interest
New product development, innovation
Description
This is a 3 part program that introduces a stepwise process in designing and developing new products. Students will use contemporary industry methods and processes in conceiving, planning, designing, and prototyping a minimum viable product for customers.
Maximum Number of Students
28, 7 per team
Requirements
Students must have senior standing in the Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering program in order to enroll in this program. Students must take parts I and II (Fall and Winter quarters) in order to receive credit for MAE 189 and MAE 151 courses. Students who fail to complete both quarters will not receive credit for the aforementioned courses. With the sponsor’s or instructor’s approval, students may enroll in part III (Spring quarter). Completing part III will provide students with another 3 units of MAE 189 which can be used as elective credits.
Additional Information
Designing and developing a new product requires active participation on various levels. You’ll research, brainstorm, speak with potential customers, sketch out concepts, create prototypes, disagree with your teammates, fail, reassess, pivot, be enlightened with the process, see the pieces come together, and achieve a goal. Lectures will be delivered in person as well as through distance communication tools such as Webex or Zoom. They will provide you with the tools as you go through the design journey. Discussions are group activities to be held with all teams. They are designed to evaluate your assignments, monitor your progress, and provide feedback. Hence, lectures and discussions attendance is absolutely required, necessary, and critical to your project’s success.
Contact Method
email instructor
Terry Wang
Instructor
terry.wang@uci.edu