Self-powered Wireless Sensors and Interfaces for UAVs

Abstract

Some special aircraft such as unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) require a system capable of long endurance flight without much maintenance. Whether to remotely monitor radioactivity in a contaminated area, or to detect the stress/strain using the sensor functionality embedded on the UAV for better maneuverability, self-powered sensors are highly desired. Self-powered wireless sensors acting as nanogenerators can not only harvest ambient environment energy during the flight but also are capable of wirelessly monitoring pressure, temperature and other parameters to make the UAV truly an intelligent transportation system (ITS). In this proposal, we request the acquisition of a Mask Aligner to pattern such self-powered sensors with nano-antenna structures for wireless communication. The addition of the proposed system will enable researchers to study novel 2D materials as self-powered sensors and actuators. The University of North Texas, a Hispanic-Serving Institutions (HSI), has invested heavily to promote advanced manufacturing and materials research and education, which is manifested by various activities such as establishing a Materials Research Facility (MRF), Advanced Materials and Manufacturing Processes Institute (AMMPI), and Center for Agile and Adaptive Additive Manufacturing (CAAAM). Additionally, UNT has initiated the work of developing a Center for Integrated Intelligent Mobility Systems (CIIMS) and the vision is to position Texas as the leader in developing, integrating and deploying intelligent and autonomous mobility systems for their wider use in rural and urban areas. The proposed infrastructure would allow the development of smart, autonomous mobility systems with breakthroughs in intelligent technologies, research and workforce preparation. The establishment of the proposed facility will significantly enhance the undergraduate and graduate education and research training in an integrative and interdisciplinary manner. The proposed efforts will diversify the workforce, encourage students to pursue advanced energy materials and energy systems, and its related career paths, and create new research and teaching opportunities for students in north Texas.

Document Details

Document Type
DoD Grant Award
Publication Date
Jun 25, 2021
Source ID
W911NF2110245

Entities

People

  • Wonbong Choi

Organizations

  • Army Contracting Command
  • Office of the Secretary of Defense
  • University of North Texas

Tags

Readers

  • Distributed Systems and Data Platform Development
  • Energy Conservation and Renewable Energy Engineering.
  • Research Science/Academic Research

Technology Areas

  • Autonomy