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Reflexive Sense and Control MAV Gust Rejection

Award Information
Agency: Department of Defense
Branch: Army
Contract: W911QX-13-C-0095
Agency Tracking Number: A2-5357
Amount: $999,953.00
Phase: Phase II
Program: SBIR
Solicitation Topic Code: A12-020
Solicitation Number: 2012.1
Timeline
Solicitation Year: 2012
Award Year: 2013
Award Start Date (Proposal Award Date): 2013-08-23
Award End Date (Contract End Date): 2015-08-21
Small Business Information
20 New England Business Center
Andover, MA 01810-1077
United States
DUNS: 000000000
HUBZone Owned: No
Woman Owned: No
Socially and Economically Disadvantaged: No
Principal Investigator
 Richard Guiler
 Principal Research Scient
 (978) 738-8247
 guiler@psicorp.com
Business Contact
 B. David Green
Title: President and CEO
Phone: (978) 689-0003
Email: green@psicorp.com
Research Institution
 Stub
Abstract

Physical Sciences Inc. (PSI) with West Virginia University (WVU) are developing an innovative approach for dramatically increasing the efficiency and agility of MAVs. Hawkmoths were studied to understand, at the micro-scale, how they achieve their impressive agility during obstacle avoidance maneuvers and in recovering from upsets due to collisions and gusts. These studies led to a focus on the micro-feathers covering their wings; in particular on in-flight clustering of the feathers. To investigate this further bioinspired piezo-unimorph feathers were developed that act as flow sensor for detecting both the amplitude and frequency of sub boundary layer turbulence. Motion of these feathers can be used passively or actively to modify low Reynolds number flows. The location and clustering of sensor/actuator micro-feathers are critical to the phenomenological understanding and mapping to manmade system. PSI and WVU believe that correctly clustered bioinspired micro-feather covered aerodynamic surfaces (e.g. wings and rotors) will dramatically improve the efficiency and aerodynamic robustness of many classes of MAVs systems including: wing warping, hovering rotor supported, and flapping flight. In Phase II the theory behind micro-feather covered aerodynamic surfaces will be developed and a prototype system will be developed to demonstrate the enhanced efficiency and agility in real-world environments.

* Information listed above is at the time of submission. *

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