Team 16056 Technical Data Package and Final Report: Modular Payload Bay for Unmanned Aircraft Systems

Abstract

The unmanned aircraft system, or UAS, is a valuable defense industry asset, but it has its limitations. As UAS platforms age, their payloads become obsolete and need to be replaced with updated technology to stay relevant and effective. Changing payloads often proves difficult because of the way they were integrated into the aircraft. The goal of this project was to create a functional prototype of a modular mission payload bay for a generic UAS. The design accommodates three payload types that demonstrate the functionality of the payload bay; payloads must function in any given payload slot without physical user intervention. The system recognizes which payload is in which slot and functions appropriately. Payload types are an LED, an LCD and a sound module. The functional prototype created by the team makes UAS platforms highly versatile in terms of mission capability and payload diversity.