University Awarded $2.4 Million Grant

The University of Hartford has received a $2.4 million grant for research on the technologies needed to create small UAVs, autonomous aerial vehicles, with the U.S. Army. The intention is to create systems the size of a soda can, that can go from 0 to 150 miles per hour in a split second at launch and then, at apogee (the top of their arch) transform into winged aerial vehicles that can begin controlled flight and be redirected or recalled. Such UAVs can provide surveillance, both visual and audio, and detect dangerous conditions such as gases and radiation.

The Mechanical Engineering (including Manufacturing Science) and Electrical and Computer Engineering Departments will work on the project for CETA, concentrating on aerodynamics, controls, tracking systems, g-force hardening, and design for manufacture. In addition to CETA, University of Hartford science departments, especially Computer Science, will be involved.

A coalition of Connecticut educational and industrial organizations, led by the University of Hartford, will conduct the project. The University of Connecticut, the University of Bridgeport, and CCAT (Connecticut Center for Advanced Technology, Inc.), along with several area companies will lend their expertise to this work, which Congressman John Larson characterized as helping to “develop a technology that will keep our nation’s greatest treasure, the men and women of our military, safe and secure.” He went on to say that “This funding can help rejuvenate our state’s manufacturing base to create jobs and help grow our economy.”

The Army is encouraging the participants in the project to generate intellectual property and aim for commercialization of the technologies developed to help realize a lower unit cost and thereby allow more of them in the field.

CETA’s dean, Lou Manzione says that these technologies “are an excellent interdisciplinary learning device for the engineering profession, and they enjoy tremendous student interest.” He adds that “this grant places the University of Hartford at the forefront of this important trend.”