We are the newest student creative team at BUT. An innovative student group focusing on unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), combining talents from all over BUT and based at the Faculty of Electrical Engineering and Communication Technologies. We have experience since 2020 with research projects aimed at developing a swarm of drones for the Ministry of Defence/Armada of the Czech Republic. Our goal is to develop autonomous drones and software to control them. We cooperate with companies to solve their projects and participate in international competitions.
Our goal is to connect all experts with an interest in drones to the BUT.
Do you have an idea for a topic you would like to address or are you interested in collaborating? We will be glad if you contact us:
Currently solving projects and laboratory
Unmanned Aerial Vehicles and Sensor Systems Laboratory
GitHub: github.com/BUT-DRONE-CENTRE
The main objectives of research and development:
- Autonomous swarm of drones for the IRS - autonomous swarm of drones, without the need for pilot control, the aim of the swarm is the early loss of human life.
- Cargo/delivery aircraft for delivery of parcels, transport of medical supplies with scheduled flights - including integration for routine operations into the common airspace.
- Autonomous aircraft moving without GNSS navigation in rugged terrain - forest, buildings, obstacles
- Unmanned aircraft to measure specific parameters such as radiation, chemicals and air quality, terrain height profile, magnetic field deformation, etc.
- User interface to reduce the burden of controlling drones and swarms
- Artificial intelligence algorithms for analysing sensor data from drones and swarms
Motivation of the foundation and goals:
- Connecting experts across the BUT
- Gaining practical experience for students - engaging talented students in research and scientific activities not only in the context of bachelor and master theses
- Meeting demand and initiating collaboration with external partners from practice
- Creation of a drone community in Brno - promotion of technological solutions - cooperation with companies
- Organization of lectures and workshops (education, professional seminars, student excursions, company presentations, technical workshops)
- Creation of U-space in the South Moravian Region
- Organisation of FPV drone race in the premises of Boulder Park at the Technology Park
We are aware of the broad potential and multidisciplinary nature of the issues related to drones. The following are examples that can be addressed in BUT DRONES
- Airspace legislative framework, U-space
- Materials design, construction, simulation, endurance testing
- Propulsion: engines, propellers, control
- Power supply and batteries, power electronic circuits
- Control electronics design, IMUs and sensors
- Autopilot software, flight stabilization, control loops
- Software for automatic and autonomous motion, ROS + simulation
- Autonomous movement without GNSS navigation: visual-inertial odometry (VIO)
- Communication networks for telemetry and image data transmission
- Design of cameras, sensors and gimbals for drones
- Image processing: photogrammetry, 3D modelling
- AI: object detection and recognition in images
- AI: planning and optimization of flight trajectories
- Visualization of images and interfacing with virtual reality
- Industrial applications - measurement, inspection, inspection, construction, delivery, IZS applications
- Use of unmanned vehicles in smart factories meeting the criteria of the Industry 4.0 initiative
