Future engineers are soaring to new heights as they design the next generation of autonomous emergency rescue vehicles.

A group at The Ohio State University has developed STUART, a small, transportable unmanned aerial rescue technology flying vehicle. A team called The Sloopy Works uses STUART GoAERO Award, A three-year international competition designed to help first responders save lives by designing a new medical aircraft. In the process, they set a new Ohio state record.

Weighing 120 pounds and nearly 8 feet long, it is the heaviest drone ever built in the university’s history. Successful vertical takeoff and autonomous flight. As a prototype, the drone has only about a third of its full-size footprint, but its total lift weight is 70 percent greater than the world speed record-setting autonomous drone flown by Ohio State. took to the skies in 2017.

“It usually takes an aerospace company more than five years to develop a new vehicle from scratch, but we did it in less than a year,” he said. Kevin Disotel researcher in Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering from The Ohio State University and the team manager. “This shows that our team is extremely resilient in being able to deliver a working flying machine so quickly.”

of GoAERO Award The contest consists of three stages with a total prize pool of $2 million. Stage 1 teams submitted their aircraft designs, and Stage 2 teams had to validate the concept by completing a 100-foot flight while carrying a small payload on the drone. Stage 3 will not begin until 2027 and final flights will be: NASA Ames Research Center This allows the vehicle to carry a 125-pound mannequin in an obstacle-style course intended to test specific skills and abilities relevant to future drone missions.

The top prize of $1 million goes to the best-performing drone, and Ohio State University was one of 14 universities from the U.S. that entered GoAERO and was awarded concept-building funding. NASA University Innovation Projectwhich promotes university-led research into innovative technologies.

For example, autonomous flying vehicles can be very useful in overcoming obstacles, assessing situations, and reaching remote areas that humans alone cannot reach.

More than 4.5 million people in the United States currently live in “ambulance deserts,” areas where it can take more than 25 minutes for emergency services to arrive. High-tech drones can be used to quickly provide aid to these vulnerable communities, delivering life-saving supplies such as bandages, medicines and blood bags.

Still, autonomous technology can be difficult to fully complete certain tasks, such as the rescue portion of search-and-rescue missions, so scientists hope to develop an aircraft that is more versatile than the small surveillance drones and large rescue helicopters typically used in emergency response situations and could help curb pilot shortages in rural areas.

“This project is extremely important, not only here in Ohio but around the world, because we are addressing technical challenges that can impact families in the real world,” DiSotel said. “There are few things worse than an emergency casualty who needs to be evacuated by air, but also unable to call for a helicopter.”

With this goal in mind, STUART stuart roberts The Ohio State Medical University professor who developed the world’s first hospital-based medical helicopter rescue program in the 1960s designed it as a small, portable vehicle capable of both vertical takeoff and landing. guided Matthew McClinkCo-Advisor and Assistant Professor of The Sloopy Works Group in Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering from The Ohio State University STUART, which has built and operated over 50 complex aircraft, is different from traditional helicopters.

Instead, the powerful propellers are sealed inside ducts to protect components and people from damage, and an onboard computer controls the drone’s movements in real time without the need for a human pilot.

During an attempted flight last year at the Ohio State University Airport on a particularly cloudy day, Stewart reached the 100-foot marker while flying 23 feet above the ground at an average speed of about 3.4 feet per second. The successful flight demonstration provided valuable engineering data, DiSotel said.

“There were so many real-world lessons learned in the process of building and flying this prototype,” he said. “This is a great experience that I hope all of the students on our team take with them into their careers.”

To document their accomplishments, the team will present the results of their flight tests. American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA) Aviation Forum In June, the team will be able to show off the prototype to the larger scientific community.

Despite the hurdles the team faced in bringing these new designs to fruition, many members found the challenge behind the experience inspiring, said Aditya Chittari, president of The Sloopy Works and graduate student. in Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering from The Ohio State University.

“Taking on the challenge of creating an aircraft for real people and patients is something we took on and did very well,” he said. “This experience helped me understand how different aspects of design come together.”

Although a team did not win one of the eight prizes in Stage 2, participants do not need to win a prize from a previous stage to advance to the next round of the competition. That’s why our team at Ohio State University is working to move forward, fueled by our passion to help bring a new class of technology to market.

“We are very passionate about where we want to be in the future,” Cittari said. “We will continue to drive ways to make an impact.”

This project was supported by Farva Technology LLC.