Commissioning and Vibration Isolation of a Low Cost UAS for Industrial and Environmental Remote Sensing Applications

Unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) provide an ideal platform for remote sensing, monitoring and data collection. Small scale, field portable systems are particularly useful in remote environments, where a lack of infrastructure dramatically increases the cost of remote sensing operations. A low-cost, portable remote sensing system is under development for industrial and research monitoring and data gathering. The UAP1 research platform has been assembled from commercially available components, using open-source software. Commissioning and testing of the airframe is discussed. Challenges encountered during testing, such as engine vibration, and their solutions, are presented within. A detailed vibration analysis is prevented, showing the benefit of isolating the inertial measurement unit (IMU) from the airframe. Additionally, autopilot tuning information is provided. Finally, current and future work on the research platform, such as image postprocessing and payload solutions.