Understanding Unmanned Aerial Systems Fundamentals Through Applied Research in an Undergraduate Learning Environment
Key Words: UAV, Unmanned Aerial System, Curriculum Development
Abstract:
1.0 Introduction & Background:
The application of unmanned aerial systems around the country is expanding at a rapid rate. Their applications have gone beyond mere novelty items and are being utilized in diverse environments such as commercial markets and academic research areas. Despite UAS technology being embraced by many academic programs and commercial markets, most of them are engineering-based, military-focused, or are primarily geared toward students obtaining an FAA certification (part 107). According to a “techno-ethical review of commercial drone use in the context of governance, ethics, and privacy”, there is a lack of emphasis on journal articles in relation to ethics, airspace, and privacy in the civilian/commercial drone world”. (Luppicini, Rocci, and Arthur So, 2016).
Since the Unmanned Aerial Systems academic programs are relatively new around the country, they have neglected to implicate multiple factors in their curriculum. For example, there needs to be a heavier focus on sensor payload, streamlining workflows, metadata standards, and lower costs for end users. Most importantly, UAS curriculum needs to consider how UAS is applicable in the commercial market with emphasis on mission planning, maintenance records, safety, and ethics. There is a lack of literature in relation to improving UAS curriculum. One article, INTEGRATING UAV INTO GEOMATICS CURRICULUM by Raid Al-Tahir is one of the few curriculum-based that goes into detail of posting an example syllabus, course objectives, and senior project suggestion. However, this piece still focuses on the engineering discipline (Tahir, 2015). As this literature attests, a large majority of publications in relation to UAS neglect how to address these fundamentals in their methods. For any student, these should be emphasized as essential. This article will not only focus on improving the issues mentioned above, but it will also address the following challenges that are often faced when instructing the UAS curriculum. 1. The learning curve that comes with flying UAS is not teachable in a handful of class sessions. 2.UAS are prone to failure despite their low cost. 3. UAS teaching environments in a northern climate presents challenges in dealing with cold winter temperatures and changing seasonal patterns. 4. An expanding UAS workforce creates complications in narrowing down a UAS curriculum. In this article, eight undergraduate peers at Purdue University, utilized multiple different platforms to formulate a productive UAS classroom environment. This article serves as a model for an exemplary UAS senior class project that will highlight any missing links in the typical UAS undergraduate environment or in the commercial UAS industry.
Since the use of UAVs in commercial markets has expanded, the need for UAV pilots with ample knowledge and experience is expanding. In response, there has been a handful of Unmanned Aerial System academic programs have been started around the country. The curriculum for these academic classes has often focused on engineering or obtaining a Part 107 certificate. They miss out on important factors that are imperative to a UAV curriculum such as:
- Flight Crew Management & “Smart” Flight Operations (minimize costs and increase safety)
Flight crew management is setting proper communication, management, and resources in place to ensure the safety, cost-consciousness, and effectiveness in regard to the crews set mission. The dynamic between crew members is vital to the productiveness of UAS missions. Smart flight operations ensure that every member of the team is constantly thinking of new solutions in the face of issues or new methods that can improve the efficiency of the crew.
- Application of UAVs in real world situations for proper solutions
Students should be in an academic setting that allows them to apply UAS in situations similar to real world issues. They should not only be learning how to simply fly UAVs but also using them to collect data and then to assess the quality of that data.
- Understanding of Laws, Regulations, and Ethics
UAS laws and regulations are constantly changing. Students should be discussing current and possible new regulations that can come up in the near future.
- Supplementary Skills (Knowledge of Software Programs)
UAS applications often need supplementary knowledge of other programs in the industry. For example, coding, GIS, and photogrammetry are all skills that can go hand in hand with UAS skill for future use in the commercial industry.
These topics are not only often left out in curriculum but there is also limited research on many of these topics to UAS research in general. This article will state the necessity surrounding the topics above through an applied research project conducted by Purdue students.
2.0 Methods
There are many imperative pieces missing from academic settings. The following practices were used to identify, familiarize, and highlight any missing links that could be missing in preparing students in the academic setting.
To identify what is needed, students researched existing DACUMs. A DACUM is an abbreviation for developing a curriculum. DACUM is an effort to identify issues in an academic setting and then to develop the setting into a better learning environment. Students created a visual to highlight any shortcomings they say in the current UAS program.
Students created their own online portfolios to have records and highlight their work. The portfolios gave students a chance to reflect on their past work to see what could be improved in the future as well.
Ethics is often a subject that is not only left out of academic settings but is also forgotten in the UAS world as a whole. It is imperative that students have discussions and assignments in relation to ethics standards. A portion of the lectures were spent discussing ethical issues in relation to the UAS world. They were assigned to read a controversial book and then write their own views. Lastly, they partook in a discussion. The topic of ethics and ethics discussions occurred with multiple assignments throughout the semester. This subject is important to talk about since one of the main issues from the general public about drones is their privacy and safety concerns. UAS professionals need to engage in these conversations to improve the image of UAS to the general public. For example, “Approaching birds with drones: first experiments and ethical guidelines", there is a listed “ethics statement” section in this journal article, which is rarely mentioned in UAS literature. However, the section is a brief statement on how the study was performed with permits from the French veterinary services and French Environmental and Aviation Authorities with the listed permit number.
Finally, a final project was assigned as a senior capstone project. A senior capstone project should utilize all UAS skills students have learned in their time at their university. Their project would give each individual student an option to focus on flight operations, design, research, etc. This project would either help them to only show off their knowledge or choose applications that they have not had the chance to work with before.
2.1 Developing a Curriculum (DACUM)
Purdue students sat in a group and identified important topics covered in the current and past UAS classes, but they also identified missing skills.
Below is a shortened example of a DACUM:
_____________________________________________________________________________________ UAS DACUM Model
In the next section, the class focused on critical skills and knowledge that are needed in the UAS industry. Then, the students matched up classes that they sufficiently learned those skills in. If they did not feel that those skills were met or introduced, then not applicable (NA) was filled in on the sheet. This part of the DACUM was good for highlighting what needed to be improved in Purdue's UAS program.
UAS Critical Skills and Knowledge
Skillset/Knowledge
|
UAS Course Applied to:
|
Project Management
|
✔
|
Geospatial Knowledge
|
✔
|
Cartographic Knowledge
|
NA
|
Post-Processing of UAS data
|
✔
|
Integration with GIS and RS software
|
NA
|
Quick-thinking/adaptability
|
✔
|
Regulation Knowledge
|
✔
|
Repair and Maintenance
|
✔
|
Flight Proficiency
|
✔
|
Sensor Integration/Familiarity
|
✔
|
Remote Sensing
|
✔
|
Quality control of data
|
NA
|
Data management/Computer Science
|
NA
|
Integration with manned aircraft
|
✔
|
Potential/Future Applications
|
✔
|
Technical Writing
|
✔
|
Programming
|
NA
|
Management
|
✔
|
Marketing
|
✔
|
Graphic Communication
|
✔
|
Ethics
|
✔
|
Soldering
|
✔
|
Systems Engineering
|
✔
|
Electronics design
|
✔
|
*If a skill has NA then that skill was not covered in the courses offered for that major.
___________________________________________________________________________________
Using DACUMs similar to this abbreviated one above, students identified what they learned in their major, and what was lacking. They also focused on what courses addressed skills they have. For the purpose of this paper, checks are put in place instead of course names. A check means that the skill was covered in one or many courses offered at the school. Using that information, the students created an applied senior project that would address all needed areas and to strengthen current skills.
2.2 Online Portfolio
Each UAS student has created their own online blog/portfolio. The portfolio is meant to highlight the student's skills and help students to reflect on their own projects. This portfolio can be shown to recruiters or professional’s in the UAS world who want to know more about the student's skill sets and experience.
The students should be instructed to make some sort of routine posts that include ample details and graphics. Below there are example of sections located on each student's blog.
About Me
This section gave a general overview of the student. The student tells their UAS from past to present with their personal aviation story.
Projects
This section is for students to show a timeline of their work so that the reader can get an idea of that student’s experience.
Exert from student here
2.3 An Ethics Assignment
At Purdue University, the UAS senior class read through, Richard Whittle’s Predator: The Secret Origin of the Drone Revolution. The book goes into detail about the creation, decisions, and aftermath in relation to the Predator. The class then wrote an essay pertaining to some of the ethical subjects brought up in the book. Lastly, the engaged in a discussion about ethics in the UAS world.
Exert from a student
“Despite discussing the ethics drones being used simply as a weapon, I believe the imperative answer lies in how and why. As discussed earlier, I think it is important to not simply condemn the military for using the Predator as a weapon, but to question more into how certain parts of their mission were unethical. With how commonplace drones are becoming, I strongly propose that UAS operators need to have ethics classes and sections in the part 107 test that covers material about ethics in relation to drones. No matter if the UAV is being utilized for civilian, commercial, or military applications, ethics is an important subject that should be brought up and discussed. The ethics of military drones will need much deeper discussion since they are applicable as a form of weaponry. If we do not bring a high standard of ethics to the drone world, then development of the UAS world will only slow down when an unethical event results in tragedy. Inevitably, this will result in more limiting regulations.”
2.4 Senior Capstone Project
8 students at Purdue University collaborated on their own flight project. The project consisted of collecting data from the local park, Tippecanoe County Ampitheatre Theatre. This testing location was chosen to collect data from a river located in the park and data that could be collected from the woods. This park covers ____ area and our test area covers about ____. In this project, students wanted to focus on professional flight operations, management, data collection, ethics, and safety.
Shape file of flight area
2.5 Pre-plan
Since the geographical location the students were working in had low temperatures. They used this time to prepare for the project. For this, students would either work independently or in teams.
2.6 Equipment
The platforms for this project included the DJI Matrice M600 Pro and C-Astral's Bramor ppX. The sensors used were the RedEdge and RGB? (More info needed). The communication app, Zello, was used as a walkie talkie type device between the pilot and the visual observers. Software included?
2.7 Ethics Analysis
The class sat down and discussed ethics concerns before conducting this mission. During the
The class agreed that sending out a “Notice of Operations” letter to the park authority in the area. This letter included information such as a range of date of operations, altitude, location of operations in the park etc. This notice was simple sent as a courtesy and to diminish any chance of misunderstanding.
Link to notice:
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1pADrAUcgxGZgmGSP-OJpQqm32iCa3nFabNMhaxsQFs4/edit?usp=sharing
Supplementary Skills
For classroom’s in northern climates, continuous flight operations all academic year round is impossible due to harsh winters. Since there can be months during an academic year that can be reduced to indoor activity, adding supplementary skills to a UAS program can be applied when weather in not ideal for flight.
GIS Software Knowledge
Photogrammetry?
Coding
Processing Data
Side Projects
2.8 Dry Runs
The C-Astral Bramor was a unique platform in comparison to past UAVs flown by the class. Since the platform came with a catapult device that could cause serious injury if not utilized with proper procedure, the team decided to conduct dry runs.
Dry runs are the process of the crew running through the checklists of the aircraft to
1.To improve proficiency and streamline workflow
2. To identify any missing steps
3. To pick out critical steps
Field Methods
Data Processing
End Result
DACUM
While some knowledge was found to be well taught at Purdue such as regulations and future possibilities, they felt that there were major skills that we were missing in our program such as coding and data collection assessment
Senior Project Results
First, the students self-delegated roles. The roles were Flight Manager, Project Manager, Pilot(s), Visual Observer(s), Author, Data Manager, Ground Operations Crew, and Maintenance/Pre-flight Crew. These roles remained the same for the duration of the semester.
Flight Manager
Project Manager
Pilot
Visual Observer
Author
Data Manager
Ground Operations Crew
Maintenance/Pre-flight Crew
The team sat down and discussed their own Metadata standard structure (see below).
- Location
- Date/Time (dd/mm/year)
- AC
- Sensor
- Altitude
- Overlap Setting
- Sky Condition/ Weather
- Crew/Roles
- Submitter
- Angle
- Notes
- Custom GPS
Dry Run Results
The time for the first run 56.48secs
The time for the second run 38.02secs
REFERENCES
