The conference included a competition in which the various teams had to use their MAVs to complete various missions both inside and outside. The Delft team won three first prizes in this competition with their DelFly MAV.

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Independent indoor flight

The first success for Delft was in the ‘Indoor Dynamics Mission’, where the first prize was won in the ‘Flapping Wings’ mission. In this mission, the Micro Aerial Vehicles (MAVs) had to fly figures of eight around two posts in the hall. The DelFly stood out as one of the two aircraft able to complete an autonomous flight. The participants at the conference were also impressed by the fact that only minimal alterations were required in the environment for this mission. For example, no patterns had to be laid on the ground in order to guide the DelFly.

Gathering data indoors

Another first prize was won in the ‘Indoor Autonomy Mission’. The goal of this mission was to enter a small wooden house, find and identify certain symbols and finally land on the roof. The DelFly was the best MAV in the competition by far, partly because the vehicle can fly into a wall without this causing it to crash.

Outdoor flight

Finally, the Delft team was also successful in the ‘Outdoor autonomy mission’ in the ‘fixed wing’ category. The Delft machine ‘Holiday’, with a wingspan of 50cm, was the only vehicle to fly autonomously through a large doorway.

Student projects

The DelFly aircraft has its origins in a TU Delft student project in 2005 (DelFly I). The third generation vehicle, the DelFly Micro, was unveiled in July 2008. It weighs just 3 grams and measures only 10 cm from wingtip to wingtip. The DelFly carries a camera which sends images back to the ground station via an antenna. The basic principles of the DelFly are borrowed from nature. Some models of the DelFly can hover in the air just like a humming bird, and can even fly backwards slowly. However, with its two sets of moving wings, it is the dragonfly that the DelFly resembles the most closely.

Observation

There are many potential uses for MAVs carrying cameras such as the DelFly. For example, they could eventually be used to fly observation missions in areas that are difficult to access or occupied by enemies. These could be areas contaminated with radioactive material or where there is a danger of collapsing buildings. MAVs could also be used to gather intelligence.

More information

Guido de Croon, e-mail: g.c.h.e.decroon@tudelft.nl.