New approaches for autonomous logistics aircraft and ground systems

This paper covers development work on a novel uninhabited autonomous cargo aircraft and ground system. We present a system that combines autonomy in the aircraft with autonomy in the ground system to create a flexible combined cargo and payload capability. The system includes several novel elements including self-balancing cargo attachment, reduced ground processing time leading to more time in the air, reduced structural requirement for cargo modules and modular design for different flight profiles, including medium and high altitude reconnaissance payloads, and low altitude cargo. Including missions from space launch to aerial mapping through to humanitarian aid.