Mini Aerial Vehicle DEMonstrator

MAVDEM is a European project funded by the WEAG (now EDA)

The objective of this programme is to study, design and test a robust concept of a miniature unmanned air vehicle system (MAV) with high performance (stationary flight and economic fast cruise capabilities), reliable, easy to operate and affordable (integration of COTS components as much as possible).

There are many technological challenges to be faced in realising this concept. The consortium has been set up in order to form a team of specialists able to perform the required multidisciplinary technical programme of work. This program has been organised in work packages and tasks covering all the topics linked to MAV concepts : light structures, advanced micro technologies, avionics, aerodynamics of low Reynolds number flight, algorithms and processing aspects. The work packages responsibilities and tasks execution have been shared and assigned to the consortium partners according to their skills and capabilities in order to guarantee a high quality work.

For the purposes of this project, a MAV is understood to mean a portable air vehicle (maximum wingspan of 50 cm for less than a kilogram could be a realistic goal) and a lightweight ground station. No piloting skills should be needed to operate the system.
The MAV is operated by a single man, a dismounted soldier or a member of a vehicle crew, on behalf of a weapon system or a tactical element (squad, section or platoon). A soldier or vehicle can carry, and eventually control, several MAVs.
The main technological challenges concern airframe design, propulsion unit and energy, micro components (propeller or rotor, actuators, sensors and payloads), guidance and control hardware and software, autonomy abilities, transmission and data link. Potential technologies to develop such platforms are MEMS, making possible a high degree of integration of sensors and micro-actuators.