BMT showcases UAV payload delivery device
BMT's Sparrow system only requires a line to be attached to a UAS to be operated. (Photo: BMT)
With Sparrow, BMT aims to solve the challenge of getting supplies from UAS to forces on the ground.
BMT has showcased a UAV payload delivery device, Sparrow, at the UK MoD’s Army Warfighting Experiment (AWE).
The system is a lightweight suspended robot that descends on a line from the UAV carrying a payload.
Sparrow allows the drone to remain higher above a target location when compared to using a traditional winch-based solution to deliver payloads to the ground.
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The solution was demonstrated during the AWE in November and will be showcased at an exploitation symposium planned for early 2023.
The concept allows payloads to be delivered from as high as 200ft in windy conditions and 500-1000ft in light winds.
BMT adds that Sparrow allows payloads to be delivered accurately in confined spaces with vertical surfaces, such as urban environments.
Operating higher gives the benefits of keeping UAVs clear of aerial obstructions and makes the delivery of supplies more covert from a noise perspective.
The system requires only the top of its line to be attached to a third-party aircraft.
Sparrow has an internally powered cable drum, four side-facing rotors and necessary sensors, power and processing to enable autonomy from the UAV. An in-hub motor and brake control rotation of the drum allowing rapid ascent and ascent.
The rotors do not generate lift but are used to counter the wind direction or move the payload horizontally.
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