Cooperative parent child unmanned aerial vehicles : a systems engineering approach

Abstract

The MIT/Draper Technology Development Partnership Project was initiated and sponsored by Charles Stark Draper Laboratory, Inc. (CSDL) to give students an opportunity to design, develop and validate a first-of-a-kind high technology system. This program addresses projects that meet one of the important national needs and the organizational requirements of CSDL. In addition, it aims to foster a sense of entrepreneurship in the students. This thesis reviews the first year of work completed on the Parent Child Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (PCUAV) project. Various potential applications for this system have been identified. A systems view is used throughout, describing the top-level trades that were made to develop a concept that would meet a broad range of user's needs. Chronological descriptions of the project and system concepts are treated in this thesis.