TouchDown: Autonomous Slung Load Delivery System
Abstract
CLEARED FOR PUBLIC RELEASE Summary TOUCHDOWN: Autonomous Slung Load Delivery System P.I.: Narayanan Komerath, Georgia Institute of Technology This is a project under the DoD Proof of Concept Commercialization Pilot Program. The primary value proposition is that customers will be able to deliver and extract payloads 50 percent faster than present limits, using externally slung loads with safety assured using the TOUCHDOWN system. This concept was developed from an Army-funded basic research breakthrough in the area of bluff-body fluid and aerodynamics, under the Rotorcraft Center of Excellence program. The science objective was to understand and enable prediction of the aeromechanics of arbitrarily-shaped loads immersed in a flowing fluid. The results have been extended to enable precise on-the-fly prediction of load dynamics, besides avoiding instability. The Slung Load Amplification Detector (SLAD) invention at the heart of TOUCHDOWN was first aimed to reduce military mission vulnerability through safe operation at higher speeds. The method employed in this project is to conduct Customer Discovery, and take the results forward to a Minimum Viable Product proof. The project team participated in a brief Customer Discovery exercise in June 2017 under the southeast NSF I-CORPS short course. Results show strong interest in the end-user communities in remote areas, but regulatory uncertainty currently inhibits commercial exploitation of the retail package delivery market. We estimate that by FY22, urban and residential package delivery all over the world will be a viable market worldwide including the USA. The initial Business Model Canvas went through a pivot after realizing the present disconnects between end-use customers, rotorcraft and UAV manufacturers, logistics and air-taxi companies, state and local fire and emergency coordinators, and the different parts of the DoD. Present data point to the first viable markets being in retail delivery in areas with infrastructure challenges outside the USA, with small-UAV mass manufacturers being the first customers for the TOUCHDOWN feature addition driving a new market for slung load applications. The US military (both Army and Navy) is the initial development supporter and the second acquisition customer. Big logistics companies, state agencies and air-taxi concepts complete the present customer list, with a well-defined sequence and feed-through relationships. A sequence of visits to trade shows, customer sites and conferences is aimed to conduct over 200 interviews enabling in-depth customer discovery with the most important segments to systematically validate and refine hypotheses and assumptions. This parallels the development towards the Minimum Viable Demonstration of the product, through explorations using our 7x9 ft. wind tunnel, UAV lab collaboration and field flight tests. The project team brings expertise in experimental aeromechanics particularly on rotorcraft and UAV aerodynamics and slung load aeromechanics of bluff bodies. The Mentor runs an established techology business dealing with government and industry contracts, with expertise in control systems and robotics and working with universities on technology transfer. The institution has obtained a Provisional Patent on the technology and provides excellent Venture Lab facilities expertise in technology commercialization, and I-CORPS instructors.
Document Details
- Document Type
- DoD Grant Award
- Publication Date
- Oct 15, 2018
- Source ID
- W911NF1710583
Entities
People
- Narayanan Komerath
Organizations
- Army Contracting Command
- Georgia Tech Research Corporation
- Office of the Secretary of Defense