By Ian Randall
An emergency helicopter is being made that will be able to explore American cities in the wake of potential nuclear attacks.
The automated aircraft, developed by engineering students at Virginia Tech University in the US, will be capable of recording radioactivity levels and surveying damage.
Kevin Kochersberger, a research associate professor with the Virginia Tech College of Engineering and director of the Virginia Tech Unmanned Systems Laboratory, and the autonomous helicopter. Picture credit - Virginia Tech
The team hopes that the device will never be needed. “It’s for a worst-case scenario,” said the leader of the project at the Virginia Tech Unmanned Systems Laboratory, Kevin Kochersberger.
The device, which developers expect will be ready for use in the next three years, is intended to aid military investigators in the potential event of a nuclear attack on a city.
Capable of being directed to radioactive sources of its own accord by specially written flight-control software, the helicopter can be easily outfitted with one of a number of “plug-and-play” devices to perform specific functions. For example it can be set up to detect radiation levels or film footage of the disaster area.
One of the devices is a stereo camera that is capable of creating three-dimensional images of the terrain beneath the helicopter. This could be used to interpret the exact nature of a detonation.
The navigation systems have already been tested in the field. The aircraft has successfully located a planted source of radiation at Kentland Farm, a few miles from the Virginia Tech campus. The trials were overseen by representatives from the Department of Defense, who came to see the craft being put through it’s paces.
Another package that can be attached to the helicopter is quite unique: a small, retractable robot can be lowered to the ground to collect evidence from the danger area. The robot, which is designed to be completely waterproof, will also have a small vacuum device to collect dust, in addition to the ability to recover larger objects.
A mechanical engineering student who is working on the team, Michael Rose said: “The robot is expected to easily manoeuvre any terrain, including expected bomb craters, as part of its investigation.”
The machine, which is a re-engineered Yamaha unmanned RMAX helicopter, is around 1.8 metres (6 feet) long and weighs around 90 kilograms (200 pounds).
I wonder what funding this received for development Ian, do you know? Was it government funded or private?
That's a really good question;
I understand the project was funded last year at $735,000, and an additional $650,000 has been allocated this year. I think it's provided for by the government – specifically the Defense Threat Reduction Agency and the Department of Energy.