AeroVironment SkyTote
Encyclopedia
The SkyTote is an unmanned aerial vehicle
(UAV), tailsitter
Vertical Take-Off and Landing (VTOL
)-fixed wing hybrid plane, which attains the advantages of both airplane designs (respectively VTOL takeoff capability and decreased energy usage). In order to control the vehicle when transitioning between vertical take-off to forward flight, an adaptive neural network
controller was designed by Guided Systems Technologies and used on the vehicle. The vehicle was developed by AeroVironment
, under a contract given by the Air Force Research Laboratory
, and its primary purpose is cargo
-delivery.
The SkyTote is special as it features a fly-by-wire
system with remote control.
As of August 2010, the SkyTote appears as a past product on the company websites, not as a current.
Unmanned aerial vehicle
An unmanned aerial vehicle , also known as a unmanned aircraft system , remotely piloted aircraft or unmanned aircraft, is a machine which functions either by the remote control of a navigator or pilot or autonomously, that is, as a self-directing entity...
(UAV), tailsitter
Tailsitter
A tailsitter is a type of VTOL aircraft that launches and lands on its tail. One of the most famous examples of this type of aircraft is the Ryan X-13 Vertijet. Among the propeller-driven versions were the Lockheed XFV, and the Convair XFY Pogo. Studies and wind tunnel models were made of a...
Vertical Take-Off and Landing (VTOL
VTOL
A vertical take-off and landing aircraft is one that can hover, take off and land vertically. This classification includes fixed-wing aircraft as well as helicopters and other aircraft with powered rotors, such as cyclogyros/cyclocopters and tiltrotors...
)-fixed wing hybrid plane, which attains the advantages of both airplane designs (respectively VTOL takeoff capability and decreased energy usage). In order to control the vehicle when transitioning between vertical take-off to forward flight, an adaptive neural network
Neural network
The term neural network was traditionally used to refer to a network or circuit of biological neurons. The modern usage of the term often refers to artificial neural networks, which are composed of artificial neurons or nodes...
controller was designed by Guided Systems Technologies and used on the vehicle. The vehicle was developed by AeroVironment
AeroVironment
AeroVironment Inc. is a technology company in Monrovia, California, and Simi Valley, California, that is primarily involved in energy systems, electric vehicle systems, and unmanned aerial vehicles . Paul B. MacCready, Jr., a famous designer of human powered aircraft, founded the company in 1971...
, under a contract given by the Air Force Research Laboratory
Air Force Research Laboratory
The Air Force Research Laboratory is a scientific research organization operated by the United States Air Force Materiel Command dedicated to leading the discovery, development, and integration of affordable aerospace warfighting technologies; planning and executing the Air Force science and...
, and its primary purpose is cargo
Cargo
Cargo is goods or produce transported, generally for commercial gain, by ship, aircraft, train, van or truck. In modern times, containers are used in most intermodal long-haul cargo transport.-Marine:...
-delivery.
The SkyTote is special as it features a fly-by-wire
Fly-by-wire
Fly-by-wire is a system that replaces the conventional manual flight controls of an aircraft with an electronic interface. The movements of flight controls are converted to electronic signals transmitted by wires , and flight control computers determine how to move the actuators at each control...
system with remote control.
As of August 2010, the SkyTote appears as a past product on the company websites, not as a current.