Department Unmanned Aircraft

ALAADy Demonstrator
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The aim of research and development work at the Institute of Flight Systems is the simple and safe operation of unmanned aerial vehicles under complex boundary conditions: demanding weather conditions, obstacle-laden flight environments or the reaction to other air, water or ground traffic participants are still very demanding for today's remote pilots. This strain should be minimised by a high degree of automation of the unmanned aircraft. The drone's situational awareness required for this is the key to safe operation, versatile usability and the equal integration of drones into general air traffic.

The Institute of Flight Systems focuses its research on unmanned cargo flights, the simultaneous operation of manned and unmanned aircraft in a common airspace, the development of hardware and software components for environmental perception and, in particular, the necessary authorisation, verification and approval aspects. This is what makes applications of drones in the service of the general public, for example in cities for medical purposes, possible in the first place. The Institute's system expertise is also used to develop solutions that prevent the potential misuse of drones.

The Institute of Flight Systems operates several unmanned aerial vehicles as test platforms for carrying out research work. In addition to a fleet of unmanned helicopters of various sizes, automatically controlled fixed-wing aircraft and multicopters can also be used for current research questions. An unmanned gyrocopter with a payload of up to 200 kilograms builds the bridge to manned aviation.

Preparations for the test flight at the Schwienau II wind farm
The unmanned DLR superARTIS small helicopter took off from the EnBW Schwienau II wind farm in Lower Saxony at the beginning of October 2023. The flight tests for the 'Upcoming Drones Windfarm' project were not conducted offshore, but on land to make the experiments safer and easier to carry out. However, the results can be transferred to offshore installations.
Practical tests with drone
Rescue drones can help to improve the fire brigade's assessment of the situation.
Image: 2/8, Credit:
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Flying Helicopter Simulator (FHS) and superARTIS on the apron
The assistance system facilitates the formation flight of manned and unmanned aircraft: In 2018, several formation flight algorithms were developed and tested in flight tests. The goal was to develop formation flight algorithms that reduce the workload of the helicopter crew. The drone reacts automatically to the movements of the manned helicopter.
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Contact

Dipl.-Ing. Johann Dauer

Head of Department
Institute of Flight Systems
Unmanned Aircraft
Lilienthalplatz 7, D-38108 Braunschweig