A Safe, Open Source, 4G Connected Self-Flying Plane With 1 Hour Flight Time and All Up Weight (AUW) <300 g: Towards a New Class of Internet Enabled UAVs

Abstract

Here, we present an open-source cloud (4G) connected and controlled self-flying airplane based on a secure, encrypted flight stack with all up weight of <;300 g as an example of a new class of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). The avionics portion (including the flight controller, 4G cellular data modem, and on-board companion Linux computer) weighs only 40 g, which is about 10 times lighter than previous avionics package achieving the same mission: 4G secure encrypted robust self-healing Internet connectivity for video and telemetry, autonomous flight capability without the need for a pilot in local proximity to the UAV, and GPS positioning. With a flight time of 1 h, this represents the lightest, longest flight time 4G UAV ever demonstrated. Enabled by the convergence of advances in multiple hardware and software systems and disciplines, this effectively defines a new class of the UAVs, distinct from larger multirotors for aerial surveys and photography and smaller nano-quadcopters with short flight times and ranges, defined by the characteristics of inherently stable aerodynamic flight in case of hardware failure (such as motor failure), inherently long flight times, inherently long range due to the efficiency of a wing over quadrotor, and Internet connectivity for control from any point on earth to virtually any point on earth.

Keywords

• UAV
• cloud computing
• Internet of Things