On the ground Dugway in Utah conducted the first test flight of the new system ROBOpilot, which literally is a robot pilot. This is a set of devices, which is mounted on the pilot’s seat and use the standard controls to operate the aircraft. The project ROBOpilot developed in the interests of the U.S. air force who want to get their hands on a new type of drones.
ROBOpilot created Research laboratory of the air force and the company DZYNE Technologies Incorporated. It needs to take place between completely Autonomous, but highly specialized UAV, and the usual on-Board autopilot. The idea is to use such a robot in the pilot’s seat to turn any aircraft into a UAV without significant modification.
Have ROBOpilot have the robotic arm to control wheel, camera review, he is able to read the readings, make decisions and carry out the necessary sequence of actions to perform maneuvers. Today it’s just a takeoff, terrain orientation and landing, including landing in difficult conditions. In the future ROBOpilot will be taught and other skills needed in military missions. To program the robot used a flight simulator RedBird FMX.
The main advantage of this system is that the drone can be converted, in fact, any current aircraft. Directly at the airport, the forces of the repair crews, cheaply and quickly, and then take it back. It logically suggests the use of such machines in terms of when to risk a pilot-a person dangerous. However, the creators of the robot specify that at this stage it is only designed for use with civil aviation, to transfer to him the management of the combat aircraft of the question.
Source — US Air Force