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Bird-Sized Flying Robots

Page history last edited by adam.neville@asu.edu 14 years ago

Name

Wasp

What is the item

According to DARPA's DSO

What Horizon is it on

Third Horizon

Explanation of the item

According to DARPA's DSO

"DARPA’s Wasp micro air vehicle is a small (approximately 14-inch wingspan, approximately one-half pound), portable (i.e., back-packable), reliable, and rugged unmanned air platform designed for front-line reconnaissance and surveillance over land or sea. Wasp serves as a reconnaissance platform for the company level. The air vehicle is capable of loitering in excess of one hour at 35 miles per hour, and provides unobtrusive, real-time imagery from low altitudes. Wasp’s current payload consists of two color video cameras (front and side), global positioning system sensor, altimeter, compass, and sophisticated autopilot enabling hands-free operation. Wasp’s ground control station is common to the Raven, Pointer, and Puma unmanned air vehicles. Wasp prototypes have been deployed for user evaluation by the U.S. military in-theater. The Wasp family of vehicles embodies a number of variants, including an extended range version, an IR-sensor equipped variant, and an optic flow collision-avoidance equipped type." http://www.darpa.mil/dso/thrusts/materials/multfunmat/wasp/index.htm

The Unmanned Systems Integrated Roadmap, 2009, produced by the Department of Defense, gives more details about the project and identifies two Wasp robots: the Block II and the Block III:

"Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency’s (DARPA’s) Wasp MAV is a small, quiet, portable, reliable, and rugged unmanned air platform designed for front-line reconnaissance and surveillance over land or sea. Wasp serves as a reconnaissance platform for the company level and below by virtue of its extremely small size and quiet propulsion system. DARPA has developed both land and waterproofed versions of Wasp. The air vehicle’s operational range is typically up to 3 nautical miles, with a typical operational altitude of 50 to 500 feet above ground level. Wasp’s GCS is common to the Raven, Pointer, and other small unmanned aircraft. Wasp is hand- or bungee-launched."

http://www.sevenhorizons.org/docs/UMS_IntegratedRoadmap2009.pdf

Charcteristics:
Wasp Block II
Weight	0.7 lb	Payload	0.25 lb
Length	11 in	Engine Type	Electric (battery)
Wingspan	16 in

Performance:

Ceiling	0.7 lb	Endurance	60 min
Radius	2-3 nm	Max/Loiter Speed	15-35 kt
Sensor	Two Color video cameras	Sensor Make

Characteristics:
Wasp Block III
Weight	1.0 lb	Payload	0.25 lb
Length	11 in	Engine Type	Electric (battery)
Wingspan	28.5 in

Performance
Ceiling	10,000 ft	Endurance	45 min
Radius	3 nm	Max/Loiter Speed	15-35 kt
Sensor	Front and side look integrated cameras EO or IR payload Camera	Sensor Make