Flying machine

Undergraduate students of the Delhi Technological University (DTU), formerly known as the Delhi College of Engineering, have recently developed an unmanned aerial vehicle called Icarus. The enterprising DTU team comprising 15 students also recently won the ‘Director’s Special Award for the Best Team effort’ at the International Aerial Robotics Competition, Georgia, US.
With the American security company Lockheed Martin Corporation agreeing to fund this project further so that it can be developed into a commercially viable enterprise, it seems that the enterprise of the young team and the college has paid off.
The new design will have a gross take-off weight of less than 80 pounds. The dash speed of the vehicle will be increased from 60 mph to 80 mph by using a 75 cc engine in place of the earlier 24 cc engine. As part of a tie-up, Lockheed has agreed to provide funding of US$ 350,000 (approximately Rs. 1.75 crore) and Lockheed Martin-generated design space to structure the efforts of the DTU team for the design and development of the Unmanned Aircraft System (UAS). The team will be required to initiate the initial design and then develop a flying prototype.
Said Rochak Chadha, third year student of Electronics and Communication Engineering, DTU and Head of the team working on the project, “The vehicle is being re-designed with a view that it can be deployed within an urban environment to provide persistent Intelligence and Strategic Reconnaissance (ISR) capability with a future potential for payload deployment and joint operations with other ground, sea and air assets as well.”
The UAS will be capable of controlled flight within the obstruction, electromagnetic and atmospheric (turbulence and wind shear) environment of a typical urban setting. Said Professor P. B. Sharma, Vice Chancellor of DTU, “The focus of DTU will be on industry relevant research and innovations. The tie-up with Lockheed Martin shall open a new chapter in our University Industry Partnership — that of cutting edge technologies and innovative development.”
Now that’s initiative for you!