This thesis presents the project on propulsion system and avionics integration of a low flying speed UAV. The aim of this project is to introduce low speed UAV to secondary school students. This is a way to increase their knowledge and interest on science subjects. In this project, the UAV designed is driven by a propeller and powered by a DC brushless motor. An AX-2005C DC brushless motor has undergone several tests to measure the available thrust and respective power consumed. A CCD Camera acts as a payload of this UAV and provides a live video feeds on PC. Instead of using an ordinary RC transmitter to control the UAV, XBee-Pro is used to provide wireless data transmission. XBee-Pro is a Radio Frequency (RF) Module which is integrated in transmitter and receiver system. It is capable of transmit and receive data within 1.5km range and with a data transfer rate of 250kbps. On-board XBee-Pro receives signals from ground station and converts the signal to digital data for SC08A servo controller. The servo controller will execute the commands and actuate the DC motor and servos. A GUI program is designed as a control panel to maneuver the UAV. This program is written by using Microsoft Visual Basic. This control panel allows the user to control the UAV like a gaming console. The live view from the camera allows the user to have a feel of playing a real game. The entire integrated avionics system includes propulsion system, control system, and image acquisition system. Photos and video can be captured whenever the UAV is air-borne.
Propulsion and systems integration on small uav_Chim Shu Wei_A2_2012_NI