Manned Down?

Contributed Photo

After a few delays, the Guardian Mini finally took off in flight over Lessing Field on Saturday morning while being guided on the ground by a pilot and remote control, unlike the large unmanned helicopter the crowd was expecting.

As part of the Homecoming weekend festivities, the Engineering Student Society (ESS) teamed with American Unmanned Systems (AUS) to demonstrate what engineering and science have made possible in today’s society through the Guardian Mini, an unmanned helicopter.

Lavelle Summerville ’11 who was ESS’ President last year said, “It was good, but it wasn’t what I was expecting.” The event alluded to a self-flying helicopter, and although it was not manned, someone was still in control of the flight.

The Guardian is AUS’s gas powered helicopter, which has been developed along with the mini version used on campus over the weekend, for use in various missions and demonstrations. The helicopter’s primary function will be providing surveillance on missions that are too dangerous for manned flight. The Guardian Mini took surveillance video while in flight and then AUS transported the information to a monitor and displayed it for the crowd to see.

Fairfield’s ESS was able to team up with AUS through Fairfield alumni Andrew Grandin ’11, who is currently working for AUS. “I would like to thank American Unmanned Systems, especially Andrew Grandin ’11, for providing an opportunity for the Fairfield Community to experience this new technological innovation first-hand,” said Neil Rodrigues ‘12,the current ESS president.

When the presentation ended, the crowd of about 80 people appeared pleased and intrigued by what they had just witnessed. AUS President Peter Muhlrad said, “(I am) very grateful to have a graduate from Fairfield.”

Although the event did not have a perfect start, the Guardian Mini completed two flights and showed people where technology is going. Ryan Munden, the faculty advisor of ESS, said, “I think we had an excellent turn out with a lot of families and non-engineering majors. It showed some cool things of what engineers do.”

Note about the engineering specifics from President of Engineering Student Society Neil Rodrigues ‘12:

“Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) have seen a tremendous amount of public exposure during the last couple years. In addition to making appearances in Call of Duty: Modern Warfare and 24: Season 8, they have also become increasingly popular for military purposes. The unmanned helicopter that was displayed by American Unmanned Systems was a small-scale electric version of their gas-powered helicopter – The Guardian.

According to the AUS website, the full scale Guardian can last for up to 5 hours per mission, powered by a 42 HP engine that can achieve a maximum speed of 100 knots. Both The Guardian and its electric powered mini-version are being developed for use in various missions, especially in circumstances that may be too dangerous for manned flight. ––

As technological innovation progresses over the next several years, I would not be surprised if UAVs are used for everyday surveillance – including college campuses such as Fairfield.”