美国空军已将平民飞机转变为临时无人机。转型完成后,新无人机将在犹他州的天空中进行了两个小时的飞行。Robopilot用一个套件代替了驾驶舱中的飞行员,取代了人类飞行员,这套件几乎不需要安装时间。
Robopilot代表机器人飞行员无人转换计划,是空军研究实验室和Dyzne技术之间的共同合作。该系统旨在对快速调整民用飞机用于无人机的概念进行测试,而无需对飞机进行任何永久更换。
在Dugway在犹他州的Dugway试验场测试中,一组工程师在Cessna 206中安装了Robopilot。Cessna 206是平民客机的公平代表,为飞行员和五名乘客提供了空间。它的范围为840英里,可以携带932磅的有效载荷。Dr. Alok Das, the Senior Scientist with AFRL’s Center for Rapid Innovation, said, ‘Imagine being able to rapidly and affordably convert a general aviation aircraft, like a Cessna or Piper, into an unmanned aerial vehicle, having it fly a mission autonomously, and then returning it back to its original manned configuration. All of this is achieved without making permanent modifications to the aircraft.’
Robopilot已设计为与大多数小型平民飞机兼容。1968年创建了在Robopilot演示期间使用的Cessna 206,因此使其非常合适。Air Force while explaining the process of installing ROBOpilot, said, ‘Users remove the pilot’s seat and install a frame in its place, which contains all the equipment necessary to control the aircraft including actuators, electronics, cameras, power systems, and a robotic arm. It grabs the yoke, pushes on the rudders and brakes, controls the throttle, flips the appropriate switches, and reads the dashboard gauges the same way a pilot does.’
GPS可以确定,然后提供所需的位置和导航数据。Robopilot的第一次飞行发生在2019年8月9日。这架飞机起飞,飞了两个小时,然后没有一个人登上船。