Mission Demonstration
Türkhan has a total flight endurance of 25 minutes and a cruising speed of 10 m/s. In the Flight Endurance mission, each lap is 2 miles long, and our vehicle completes a single lap in approximately 6 minutes and 20 seconds. Based on this performance, our competition strategy is to complete two laps during the endurance task, ensuring sufficient battery capacity remains for the successful execution of the remaining mission objectives.
As operators, we have developed two operational plans: Plan A and Plan B. In both plans, the pilot and the Ground Control Station (GCS) operator are human. Under Plan A, targets within the mission area are detected automatically using AI-based RF-DETR object detection models. Under Plan B, if the AI system is unable to reliably identify targets, target selection is performed manually by a human operator, ensuring mission reliability and accuracy.
Türkhan is designed with portability and rapid deployment in mind. Its compact, lightweight airframe can be easily disassembled, allowing it to fit within the competition’s personnel item size requirements. Even with the battery system installed, the total takeoff weight is only 14.3 lbs, making the platform easy to transport and handle in the field.
To maximize flight endurance within our budget, we use two 6S 10,000 mAh LiPo batteries connected in parallel, providing a total capacity of 20,000 mAh. Although each battery exceeds 100 Wh, this configuration offers a practical and cost-effective balance between endurance, performance, and affordability, enabling Türkhan to successfully accomplish the competition missions.
For target detection, we use RF-DETR instead of YOLO because it provides higher detection accuracy in complex aerial environments. Its transformer-based architecture is more effective at detecting small or partially occluded targets while reducing false positives. Although it is computationally more demanding, the improved reliability makes RF-DETR a better choice for our search-and-rescue mission.
For mapping, we use OpenDroneMap to generate a 2D map of the mission area. While the Türkhan performs its grid search for target detection, it simultaneously captures aerial images. After the search is complete, these images are processed with OpenDroneMap to create a detailed map, providing valuable situational awareness for the search and rescue team.
Components
CubePilot Cube Orange
A triple-redundant, vibration-dampened flight controller that executes autonomous navigation and stabilizes the vehicle using extended Kalman filtering.
T-Motor MN505S
Built for durability and performance, it offers exceptional cooling, heat dissipation 10% better than standard motors, and high-temperature resistance.
Masterflight 6S 10000mAh Battery
A high-performance 22.2V Li-Po battery with a 65C discharge rate, serving as the primary energy source to handle peak propulsion loads without voltage sag.
CubePilot HERE 4
A multi-band RTK GNSS module utilizing the CAN FD protocol to provide centimeter-level positioning accuracy for waypoint navigation.
RFD900X Telemetry Modem
A long-range, AES-encrypted radio modem that establishes a reliable bi-directional data link between the vehicle and the Ground Control Station.
T-Motor Flame 60A
Delivers 60A continuous and 80A peak current (10 seconds), designed for high-performance multi-rotor UAVs.
KNPDB-02140 Power Distribution Board
Our products are designed for easy integration, ensuring a smooth transition and immediate productivity.
Jumper T-14 Radio Transmitter
An ergonomic, open-source radio controller running EdgeTX firmware and featuring precision CNC Hall sensor gimbals. It serves as the primary ground control station interface for manual teleoperation, offering low-latency command transmission and customizable telemetry display.
Ubiquiti Bullet AC
Highly durable, easily deployable, dual-band WiFi radio with a 300+ Mbps throughput rate at 5 GHz.
Ubiquiti LiteBeam Ac
Ultra-lightweight design with proprietary airMAX ac chipset and dedicated management WiFi for easy UISP mobile app support and fast setup.
Raspberry Pi 5
Raspberry Pi 5 is a high-performance computer with silicon designed in-house, USB 3, PCIe, and up to 16GB RAM.
Siyi A8 Mini
A8 mini is a lightweight and elegant gimbal camera, carrying a 4K 1/1.7-inch Sony starlight sensor, max 6X digital zoom.