Freight Drones

 

IFD with aerospace partner, Butler Aerospace & Defense, is designing and manufacturing a freight drone with the accompanying systems to make it operational and valuable to the countries in which it is being used.

Drone Frame

The design of the frame of the drone includes:

  • The fuselage and frame made from light weight composites.
  • The retractable wheel assembies.
  • Fuel container placement to maintain center of gravity. 

Power Plant

This power plant plays a key role to enable the drone to lift greater than 20-tons. The power plant will include turbine engines, transmissions, rotors and other mechanical and electronic components. 

Payload Cage

The Payload Cage wraps around the container once the container is attached to the drone. It utilizes several IoT sensors that are used to find center of gravity for the drone while it travels. 

Autonomous Pilot

IFD will be selecting an autonomous systems to be used as the base for the freight drone.

We will be working with the developer to define the  changes necessary to support all requirements. 

Drone Control System

IFD will be selecting a control mechanism vendor that will be used to set yaw, pitch, thrust, and lift for drone flight. The vendor will already have considerable expererience in rotor aircraft of this size.

Communication Systems

Communication systems that the drone will wioll use are already in use in many helicopters and planes. The drone will be outfitted with the following communication gear:

  • Communicate with all systems on the drone
  • Communicate with Air Traffic Control
  • Communicate with Flight Operations
  • Communicate with Ground Operations
  • Receive commands from the remote pilot
  • Send all IoT Data to Flight Operations
  • Send all video to the Remote Pilot and Flight Operations.
  • Receive Flight Plans and Flight Plan changes

 

Visual Interpretation System

As part of the collision detection and landing system, the visual interpretation system is an AI vision recognition system. It will be used constantly monitor the surrounding for objects that may damage the drone or alter its flight pattern.  The software will be trained recognize the dangers in the air and ground.

Remote Pilot System

IFD will be working with helicopter simulation companies to select one for use as the Remote Pilot System for the drone.

The system will have 3 levels of use, which include flying the drone, observing the flight of the drone and as a training tool for pilots.