A Blizzard, an autonomous networked aerial delivery system (ADS) Snowflake developed by the Aerodynamic Decelerator Systems Center (ADSC) at the Naval Postgraduate School (NPS) integrated with a high-performance unmanned aerial system (UAS) Arcturus T-20 was demonstrated at PATCAD 2009. Due to its smart guidance and control algorithms, even with the strong winds, exceeding forward velocity, an ultra light weight Snowflake ADS proved to be quite reliable and exhibited a superb performance of 40m CEP. The Snowflake ADS comes in three configurations with 10sq.ft, 25sq.ft and 38sq.ft canopies with the nominal performance of less than 15m CEP, demonstrated quarterly at the U.S. SOCOM – NPS field exercises at Camp Roberts, CA. Such a performance allows the NPS / University of in Huntsville team to proceed with and demonstrate such unique applications for aerial delivery as a precise delivery of an autonomous ground robot from UAS, landing Snowflake onto a moving platform and deploying it from the stratosphere – three current research projects of the ADSC.
Snowflake ADS
Two landed Snowflakes and an autonomous ground robot rushing to the ground weather station upon landing.
Blizzard – Arcturus T-20 UAS with two different weight Snowflake ADS
Testing a 40sq.ft canopy