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The NRL micro tactical expendable (MITE) air vehicle

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  04 July 2016

J. Kellogg ,
C. Bovais ,
R. Foch ,
H. McFarlane ,
C. Sullivan ,
J. Dahlburg ,
J. Gardner ,
R. Ramamurti ,
D. Gordon-Spears  and
R. Hartley
...Show all authors
J. Kellogg
Affiliation:
Tactical Electronic Warfare Division, Naval Research Laboratory, Washington DC, USA
C. Bovais
Affiliation:
Tactical Electronic Warfare Division, Naval Research Laboratory, Washington DC, USA
R. Foch
Affiliation:
Tactical Electronic Warfare Division, Naval Research Laboratory, Washington DC, USA
H. McFarlane
Affiliation:
Tactical Electronic Warfare Division, Naval Research Laboratory, Washington DC, USA
C. Sullivan
Affiliation:
Tactical Electronic Warfare Division, Naval Research Laboratory, Washington DC, USA
J. Dahlburg
Affiliation:
General Atomics, San Diego, CA, USA
J. Gardner
Affiliation:
Laboratory for Computational Physics & Fluid Dynamics, Naval Research Laboratory, Washington DC, USA
R. Ramamurti
Affiliation:
Laboratory for Computational Physics & Fluid Dynamics, Naval Research Laboratory, Washington DC, USA
D. Gordon-Spears
Affiliation:
Artificial Intelligence Center, Naval Research Laboratory, Washington DC, USA
R. Hartley
Affiliation:
Artificial Intelligence Center, Naval Research Laboratory, Washington DC, USA
B. Kamgar-Parsi
Affiliation:
Artificial Intelligence Center, Naval Research Laboratory, Washington DC, USA
F. Pipitone
Affiliation:
Artificial Intelligence Center, Naval Research Laboratory, Washington DC, USA
W. Spears
Affiliation:
Artificial Intelligence Center, Naval Research Laboratory, Washington DC, USA
A. Sciambi
Affiliation:
Science & Engineering Apprentice Program, Naval Research Laboratory, Washington DC, USA
D. Srull
Affiliation:
CACI, Alexandria, Virginia, USA
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Abstract

The US Naval Research Laboratory (NRL) is developing technologies that will enable Navy-relevant missions with the smallest practical Micro Air Vehicles (MAVs). The NRL Micro Tactical Expendable (MITE) air vehicle is a result of this research. MITE is a hand-launched, dual-propeller, fixed-wing air vehicle, with a 25cm chord and a wingspan of 25–47cm, depending on payload weight. Vehicle gross weight is 130–350g. Miniature autopilot systems, based on visual imaging techniques, are being developed for MITE. These will be used in conjunction with conventional autopilot sensors to allow the MITE to fly autonomously. This paper provides an overview of the MITE development, including aerodynamic design considerations, electric propulsion, and vision-based autopilot research. Also presented is a rationale for the development of control laws that can direct the behavior of large groups of MAVs or other vehicle agents. Dubbed ‘physicomimetics,’ this process can bring about the self-assembly of complex MAV formations, though individual MAVs have minimal onboard processing power and limited local sensing capabilities.

Type
Research Article
Information
The Aeronautical Journal , Volume 106 , Issue 1062 , August 2002 , pp. 431 - 442
Copyright
Copyright © Royal Aeronautical Society 2002 

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