Senior Design Capstone Class

Sponsor:  Paul Johnston, Cirrus Aircraft

Objectives:

• Allow the pilot to intuitively control speed, altitude, and flightpath vector
• Design system to mitigate environmental disturbances like wind gusts
• Display the pilot’s current flight vector and the predicted flight vector
• Display the pilot’s desired flight vector and the desired flight vector 5 seconds into the future

​​​​​​

Sponsor: Sponsor: American Astronautical Society (AAS)

Objectives:

Over 66 objectives were released with the competition guidelines, but the most important ones with the updated competition rules are:

• The CanSat container and internal components shall remain intact after being dropped 65cm while attached to a shock cord.
• The container shall release its two samara payloads when it receives simulated altitudes of 500m and 400m from the ground station while in a “descent” state.
• The auto rotating samaras will be placed on a rotational table after release and shall transmit their telemetry back to the container at a rate of 1 Hz.
• The container shall transmit its own telemetry and the samara telemetry back to the ground station at a rate of 1 Hz.

Sponsor: Professor Demoz Gebre-Egziabher, U of MN

Objectives:

HyCUBE redesign | 3 overarching problems to solve:

• Overheating on reentry
  • TPS limits & speed
• Accurate, efficient, reliable deorbit
• Data chosen to be uploaded to IRIDIUM (limited bandwidth) and making up for packets not sent during a re-entry blackout

Sponsor:  The Boeing Company

Objectives:

• Design a small personal evacuation vehicle to transport infected patients to medical facilities.
• Reduced aircraft and operating footprint with respect to commercial aircraft
• Reduced noise levels with respect to commercial aircraft
• Predominantly used in Cities/Urban Areas
• Improve access to rapid emergency care
• The PEV shall be able to accommodate 2 full adults prostrate or sitting
• The PEV shall be able to land and takeoff within a 28-foot diameter circular footprint
• The PEV noise levels should not exceed 100 dB beyond a 75-foot diameter circle

Sponsor: Aster Labs

Objectives:

• Design a dropsonde that can gather information about the Venusian atmosphere
• Dropsonde successfully collects and transmits data
• The group provides a plan that differs from previous designs and missions Aster Labs has seen
• The mission should be low cost (~ $390,000 per kg)
• The dropsonde must survive the atmosphere of Venus from 70 km to the surface
• The sensors on the dropsonde shall collect atmospheric data at different altitudes (especially 45 km to 60 km above the surface of Venus)[2]
• This data must include the altitude, pressure, temperature, and phosphine levels of the area it collects from

Sponsor: Curtis Olson (AEM) and Dan Heins (Department of Forestry)

Design goals:

• Design should be capable of VTOL operation
• Find middle ground on flight speed to obtain high image quality and endurance
• High visibility for compliance with Part 107 requirements
• Ease of use for operator

Sponsors: Professor Emeritus William Garrard, U of MN

Objectives:

• Retain or improve upon performance characteristics of the DHC-2 Beaver
• Hold a market competitive price
• Improve safety characteristics from the DHC-2 Beaver
• Improve maintenance operations and ease of use from the DHC-2 Beaver
• The BA-1 shall comply with CFR 14 FAR Part 23
• The BA-1 shall be capable of takeoff and landing in a variety of environments
• The BA-1 shall be at least 6 place (T) and 11 place (O)
• The BA-1 must retain the DHC-2 Beaver's cargo friendly interior
• The BA-1 shall improve on the stall characteristics of the DHC-2 Beaver
• The BA-1 shall maintain operational costs lower than the DHC-2 Beaver
• The BA-1 shall have a price that creates customer interest
• The BA-1 shall require only one pilot for operation
• The BA-1 shall have modern instrumentation and electronics
• The BA-1 shall include modern safety features to improve operation under poor conditions
• The BA-1 shall have performance characteristics that draw market attention and compete with the DHC-2 Beaver

Sponsors: Northrop Grumman
Objectives:

• Design a low cost, rocket-powered interceptor to come in close proximity to a UAS threat
• Use as many COTS products as possible
• Target UAV that may be capable of limited maneuvers
• Conserve funds whenever possible
• Incorporate safety measures on motor ignition
• Reach target at 2 km in 40 seconds
• Deliver payload of mass 0.5 - 1 kg to within 5 m of target
• State seeker requirements to successfully acquire target
• Utilize readily available options for seeker, actuators, and rocket motor
• Keep entire cost < $5000

Sponsor: Collins Aerospace
Objectives:

• Reduce drag on wipers
• Improve fuel efficiency
• Reduce system fatigue
• Produce a relation linking wiper drag with fuel cost
• The wiper system shall produce 1% less drag leading to better fuel efficiency than all current Collins products
• The wiper design shall reduce total required system torque
• The wiper design shall reduce torque variation through the wiper cycle

Sponsor: Sentera

Objectives:

• Design to be replaceable/recyclable, rather than repairable
• Maintain common industrial material requirements
• Reduce possible spare parts to only “consumable” products
• Design published with an open-source license model
• 100% electric propulsion
• Packs flat for initial shipment
• 40 mph fixed-wing cruise speed
• 1 nautical mile operating range
• GTOW less than 2 kg, preferably less than 1.5
• 400 ft max altitude