Peter Min Rose Hills
Multi-Aircraft VTOL System for Cooperative Heavy Payload Transport
A major limitation of current drone technology is payload capacity, as most drones can only carry a fraction of their own weight. In collaboration with the HiPeR Lab, my research investigates whether a formation of multiple lightweight drones flying in coordination can collectively carry a payload that no single aircraft could lift alone. Specifically, the goal is to build a system that can vertically take off and land (no runway required), lift a payload four times heavier than the entire system itself, and carry it across a four-mile course. This involves developing the control systems needed to fly multiple drones in formation, mathematically modeling different propulsion approaches, optimizing the aircraft design, and physically building and testing the system. Success would have far-reaching implications, as advances in payload capacity could transform how drones are used across society, enabling better disaster response, faster medical transportation, heavier package deliveries, and applications we have yet to imagine.
Message To Sponsor
Thank you for supporting my summer research project! I'm really excited to explore what a system of multiple coordinated aircraft can achieve and also get hands-on engineering experience. I'm incredibly grateful for this opportunity, and can't wait to learn and grow as an engineer.