Active Crash Protection Systems for UAVs

This paper presents the results from an NRTC/CRI Project to investigate the active crash protection system technologies for UAVs. The technologies investigated include external airbags for crash protection, crash sensors, and electronic crash activation systems. A prototype external airbag crash protection system was developed and demonstrated using an MD 530 airframe as the technology demonstrator testbed. The paper provides information about the external airbag configuration selected, tests conducted, and modeling and simulations performed. Some of the technical challenges in development of the external airbag system included providing sufficient airbag volume and venting capability to decelerate the aircraft, rapid inflation of the airbags prior to contact with the ground, robust airbag materials to survive crash impacts on rough terrain, and selection of crash sensors for the crash activation system.