Utilization of a Geodesic Sphere and Quadcopter as Two-Way Field Probe for Electro-Magnetic Field Measurements in an Indoor Radar Cross Section Range
Abstract
This thesis intends to provide a unique two-way field probe solution for measuring electromagnetic fluctuations in a test volume. In this thesis, the design, development, and demonstration of a geodesic sphere encased quadcopter two-way probe is explained. The Parrot Bebop Drone quadcopter was used with a 2x17; frequency divided geodesic sphere design. Position and pose data was accomplished with a ViconTM motion capture system. A Lintek 4000 radar instrumentation system provided RCS measurements. RCS measurements with position and pose data synchronization is critical. Sample points captured must be sufficient to extract any conclusions. This research concluded that a geodesic sphere and quadcopter could be used as a two-way probe to measure general field characteristics of an indoor compact RCS range. In a quadcopter only flight test, using a 2 to 5 GHz frequency sweep at 0.1 GHz increments, there were three instances where a direct correlation in phase measurement to flight path was observed.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Mar 01, 2016
- Accession Number
- AD1053837
Entities
People
- Nathan T Lett
Organizations
- Air Force Institute of Technology