Presentation
Design of an Educational Tool for Unmanned Air Vehicle Design and Analysis
Interservice/Industry Training, Simulation, and Education Conference (I/ITSEC) 2015
(2015)
Abstract
Offering laboratories and team projects present significant challenges for delivering Science, Technology,
Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) courses in the online (asynchronous) modality. These interactive
workspaces are important attributes since they provide forums for students to more deeply explore
fundamental principles, exercise teamwork and planning to jointly overcome problems, and gain critical
experience. The employment of online environments and interactive activities hold the potential to change
how fundamental student outcomes measured by accreditation organizations are incorporated and treated in
curricula, potentially improving the quality of the overall educational experience. To address this need
Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University has teamed with Pinnacle Solutions to develop a realistic unmanned
aircraft system (UAS) development, application, and evaluation simulation that educators can integrate into
program curriculum. The research contained in this paper addresses simulation development and
application starting with identification of basic educational objectives driving the need and how the
simulation tool is envisioned to satisfy learning objectives. This will be followed by a description and
examples of a multi-environment simulation framework designed to meet those needs. The first is a
component test environment where students can investigate basic technical principles of operation and key
performance metrics of standalone UAS components such as sensors, communications, and propulsion
elements. The second is an integration facility, where students are provided the capability to apply
knowledge gained in the previous laboratory to select and combine appropriate elements into a unified
subsystem to meet prescribed mission parameters. The third is a flight test environment, where students
experiment with development and execution of simulated flight profiles over common terrain environments
(i.e., mountainous) to measure operational performance attributes of the completed UAS. The design is
anticipated to provide the flexibility to implement each environment sequentially, as described above, or
independently; ensuring a solution applicable to a broad range of courses, objectives, outcomes, and student
capabilities.
Keywords
- online education,
- interactive workspaces,
- measurement of student outcomes,
- accreditation,
- unmanned aircraft system
Disciplines
Publication Date
December, 2015
Location
Orlando, FL
Comments
Paper no. 15086.
Citation Information
Brian Sanders, Brent Terwilliger, Ken Witcher, Mark Leary, et al.. "Design of an Educational Tool for Unmanned Air Vehicle Design and Analysis" Interservice/Industry Training, Simulation, and Education Conference (I/ITSEC) 2015 (2015) Available at: http://works.bepress.com/kenneth-l-witcher/11/