Development of a rotorcraft mini-UAV system demonstrator

Unmanned aerial vehicles have typically been used in armed forces to provide information for upper level decisions. However, at the company and platoon levels there is a need for over-the-hill reconnaissance to increase situational awareness and effectiveness of those units. The vertical take-off and landing capabilities of mini rotorcraft UAVs (mini-RUAVs) deliver the required flexibility for this type of operation. This paper is related to the first phase of a three-phase project and presents the overall system architecture of our mini rotorcraft UAV, followed by descriptions of the avionics systems, the ground control station, the rotorcraft used, its modifications and the vehicle configuration management system.