8:45 - 10:30 Rotorcraft Automation: Increasing Efficiency and Survivability on Manned and Unmanned Rotorcraft

Manned and unmanned rotorcraft platforms are planned to have an increased co-operation and teaming in missions, thus leading to an increase in costs and personnel requirments. This has led to an increase in concerns of how both manned and unmanned rotorcrafts will be able to keep up with each other’s mission requirments and tempo and be mission ready at all times without increasing the demand for resources. In this in depth focus session the use of automation in helicopters will be discussed and will cover how automation makes helicopters increase their efficiency and survivability and how it makes the manned and unmanned rotorctaft teaming possible, while maintaining costs, required personnel and maintenance low.

What will be covered:

• The latest automated systems
• Making manned and unmanned rotorcraft teaming more efficient
• Maintain mission readiness
• Increased efficiency on ground

How you will benefit:

• Gain insight into current and future unmanned capabilities and upgrades
• Understand the need to have a standard automation system for all helicopters

Session Leader:

Stephen Granade
Senior Optical Engineers
Advanced Optical Systems

10:30 - 12:15 Frontiers of Rotorcraft Aeromechanics and Future Advanced Designs

Vertical lift platforms in the 21st century are being asked to perform a wide variety of challenging missions. Current performance (range, speed, altitude and payload) must be substantially improved to meet these demands. In addition, survivability via reduced noise signature, enhanced maneuverability, and crashworthy airframe systems is of great interest to the user community. This briefing will describe the latest efforts improving aeromechanics and future designs that will all add together to an increased performance and adaptability for future roles and missions in the ever changing combat spectrum.

What will be covered:

• Aeromechanic efficiency
• Increasing the speed and agility of helicopters
• Simple mechanics for future designs
• Adapting design to the roles

How you will benefit:

• Gain a better understanding of what new technologies will be emerging within the next 5-10 years.
• Have an opportunity to guide students and faculty working on the next generation of systems and platforms in your fleet.

Dr. Inderjit Chopra
Aerospace Engineering and Research Department
University of Maryland

1:45 - 3:00Future Engineering and Sciences for Autonomous Aerial Cargo Systems

Piloting cargo helicopters is a dangerous task, requiring a significant amount of training from pilots and ground crew. Through the years and conflicts, some challenges encountered with the current cargo helicopters include their size, the low speed when loaded, stabilization of cargo while in flight, dangerous attachment and detachment of the load, flight through low visibility conditions, and high risk areas, endangering the crew. The focus of this workshop is to provide a new approach to cargo helicopter and sling load operations through the use of autonomous systems developed to identify loads, even in degraded visual environments, sling load them automatically and deliver it to a precise location without endangering the air or ground crew.

What will be covered:

• The concept of the Autonomous Aerial Cargo Systems
• Weight constraints using UAS
• Tracking targets and pinpointing loads under variant light
• Understand the expanding role of this platform

How you will benefit:

• Gain insight into current and future unmanned capability with less risk to the warfighter
• Understanding the needs and requirements that these platforms require
• Know how and when Autonomous Aerial Utility Cargo platforms could potentially replace existing helicopters in the Navy’s arsenal

Mr. James McCoy, USN
Deputy Program Manager
Autonomous Aerial Utility Cargo System