PI: Amin Mivehchi
Co-PI: Keith Moored
University: Lehigh University
Industry partner: Aerotargets International
Natural disasters such as hurricanes, floods, and earthquakes can disrupt logistics within hours, leaving communities isolated for days or weeks due to damaged roads, bridges, and port infrastructure. Similar constraints exist in offshore and expeditionary operations where last-mile delivery of small, high-value payloads—such as medications, food, water purification supplies, communication units, batteries, and critical spare parts—must be performed reliably with limited infrastructure. Heavy-lift multicopter drones are well suited for these missions because they can take off and land vertically, hover for precise delivery, and deploy rapidly without runways or specialized equipment. However, their operational range and endurance remain strongly limited by battery energy density and the steep weight penalty associated with adding batteries, particularly for payload classes above 30 lb. These constraints reduce mission radius, limit delivered payload mass, and degrade operational robustness in real-world environments.
This project will develop and validate an endurance-and-range upgrade pathway for AeroTargets International’s heavy-lift quadcopter delivery platforms by integrating aerodynamic add-ons, vehicle-shape refinement, and energy-aware flight strategies. Rather than redesigning the vehicle class, the approach focuses on retrofit-compatible modifications that improve forward-flight efficiency and reduce wasted energy while preserving the key operational advantages of multicopters (VTOL capability, hover precision, and rapid deployment). The work begins with mission definition and baseline characterization of the current AeroTargets platform, including energy consumption mapping across payload and cruise-speed conditions to establish an energy-per-mile performance curve. Building on this baseline, the team will develop and evaluate aerodynamic and control concepts—including drag-reducing fairings, payload-pod shaping, lightweight lift-assist elements, and optimized operational planning and control tuning—to reduce cruise power demand and improve mission performance without compromising controllability or safety margins.
The project will downselect the most promising configuration based on test-backed evidence, then integrate the final design into a flight-test prototype. The initial demonstration target is a 25-mile mission carrying a 30+ lb. payload with 45–60 minutes of flight time under calm conditions and a defined reserve policy, with a stretch objective toward 50 miles and/or >1 hour depending on baseline performance. Deliverables include validated performance data, a prototype-ready upgrade package, and a clear pathway for productization and follow-on funding.