6 Days Left to Enroll in Online Unmanned Systems Degrees

Jan. 1, 2013 - PRLog -- Only 6 days left to enroll in graduate and undergraduate degrees at Unmanned Vehicle University. “We have a very mature curriculum in unmanned aircraft systems engineering and are starting our first course for the unmanned ground systems engineering degree, says UVU President Dr Jerry LeMieux.” All courses are taught online from instructors with PhDs in engineering and an average of 25 years of experience in unmanned systems.  

The UAV course starting on Jan 7 is UAV Aerodynamics and Flight Stability. This 12-week ‘instructor led’ online course addresses fundamental principles of aerodynamics and flight stability for applications in unmanned aircraft vehicle (UAV) design. The course requires background knowledge of numerical methods and simulation and is intended to provide a sound foundation in the areas of aerodynamic modeling and optimization, and the computation of UAV flight stability. The application of theoretical aerodynamics in the course serves to provide solutions to aerodynamic design problems formulated in Unmanned Aircraft Systems Engineering. The course is taught by Dr Pascual Marques using course management software. At the end of the course the student will be able to:

Apply fundamental aerodynamics theory.
Discuss the relative merits of the Thin-airfoil Theory, Lifting-line Theory, Finite-wing Theory and Vortex-panel Method.
Identify airfoils suitable for UAVs.
Assess the effect of airfoil geometry on surface velocity, pressure and boundary layer thickness distributions.
Evaluate airfoil operation in off-design conditions and the influence of Reynolds number.
Adjust wing planform and aspect ratio to optimize aerodynamic efficiency.
Evaluate geometric and/or aerodynamic wing twist for induced drag reduction.
Explain the mechanisms that underpin high-lift configurations, boundary layer stability and flow control.
Discuss applications of adaptive wing technology and aeroelasticity.
Apply fundamental principles of rotorcraft aerodynamics.
Evaluate CFD methodology for applications in UAV design.
Compute parameters of automated flight stability in pitch, roll and yaw and their interaction.

The next unmanned ground vehicle course is Unmanned Ground Vehicle Fundamentals. This course is taught by Mr Francis Govers. At the end of the course the student will be able to:

Describe the missions and applications of Unmanned Ground Vehicles (UGV)
Understand the differences between small UGV (SUGV), off-road and on-road UGV (or self-driving cars)
Be able to develop requirements for UGV design
Understand the different sensors used in the three classes of UGV
Be able to understand different propulsion and traction methods, and list common UGV drive train components with their strengths and weaknesses.  Understand the geometry of Ackerman steering and slip-skid steering.
Understand the strengths and weaknesses of UGV data links and communications, and the effects of latency on control
Describe small UGV tasks, and have a basic understanding of the mathematics describing robot arms and manipulators (Polar vs. Cartesian)
Be able to describe the basic operations of indoor navigation by various methods (SLAM, odometery, beacons, obstacle avoidance, right-hand-rule, etc)
Understand the techniques by which UGV’s can operate on roads and in traffic by using various sensors and algorithms, and explain why GPS can’t keep a UGV on the road.
Be able to explain how UGV’s can be tested for safety in general terms
Be able to describe and list the basic parts of a UGV lifecycle (documents, design, design reviews, prototypes, testing, acceptance, production, sustainment, retirement)
Be able to discuss the future applications of Unmanned Ground Vehicles and Self-Driving Cars, including implications for current and future technology.

Unmanned Vehicle University is the only University in the world licensed to grant degrees in unmanned systems engineering. Graduate and undergraduate courses start on January 7. To enroll visit uxvuniversity.com or call 800-400-2112. Unmanned Vehicle University Press is a division of UVU that focuses on publication of education and training media in unmanned air, ground, sea and space systems.