SotonUAV

Soton UAV

The University of Southampton's UAV team.

We are...

A research team based at the University of Southampton consisting of academics, staff, post-graduate researchers and undergraduate students. We design, manufacture and fly uncrewed aerial vehicles (UAVs) from a research perspective. Many of our systems make use of cutting-edge design methods, state-of-the-art manufacturing techniques and novel applications of technology.

We make research happen

1. Design

We design drones as both research platforms and as platforms to carry research equipment. Often this requires a bespoke design or a special interface between the equipment.

2. Develop

We develop and manufacture our platforms in-house using state-of-the-art techniques. We also constantly upgrade our designs to ensure they are at the cutting-edge of technology.

3. Fly

We fly our systems to test new designs and to perform research. Although most of our flights are in the UK, we have flown in several remote and challenging locations such as Antarctica.

Our facilities

  • UAV Lab
  • MC3 Vehicle Internal Setup
  • Wind tunnel testing
  • MC3 Vehicle
  • Boldrewood Campus
  • Spotter and Gannet
  • Draycot Flight Test Site
  • ISVR Testing with Spotter

All our research is born and fostered from our offices and labs in the University of Southampton's Boldrewood Innovation Campus in Southampton, UK. Hanging from the ceiling of the lab are several of our in-house built platforms and other research vehicles. The work surfaces and shelves are dotted with new designs, research payloads and prototyped parts and the walls are home to photos, system diagrams and whiteboards full of doodles.

We have a state-of-the-art Mobile Command Control and Communication (MC3) vehicle which is equipped to support any field test. They act as a lab-on-wheels, allowing flight operations and data analysis to be conducted with ease.

As a research group within the University of Southampton we have access to many incredible facilities such as the R. J. Mitchell wind tunnel and the host of manufacturing tools and equipment. This allows us to rapidly turn our ideas into reality.

Our team

Somebody once said "The strength of the team is each individual member. The strength of each member is the team". This is true of the team behind Soton UAV. We each have our individual strengths and are all passionate about our work. But together, we are driven, as a team, to excel at what we do. Our team is forever dynamic. Due to the amount and type of projects we work on our team numbers are constantly fluctuating, but here is an introduction to the core members.

B
Bob Entwistle
M
Mehmet Ali Erbil
O
Oliver Westcott
C
Cameron Boyd
C
Charles Dhenin

Our platforms

Our research often involves designing bespoke uncrewed aerial vehicles or utilising existing platforms to either carry research equipment or undergo modifications to test novel designs and ideas. Below is a sample of some of our platforms that we have designed and operate.

Spotter
Spotter

Our research workhorse with a 4 m wingspan and payload capability of 5 kg.

Valerie
Valerie

Our vertical take-off and landing aircraft for research applications.

Ultra
Ultra

A 350 kg maximum take-off mass aircraft for cargo and aid delivery.

Firedrone
Firedrone

Fire/Fast incident response equipment for the description of noxious particle emissions.

Our projects

As a research team, we are heavily involved in many different projects and collaborations. These exciting areas of research keep us motivated to apply our collective knowledge and skills to solve problems, create solutions, and perform research at the cutting-edge of our field.

CASCADE
CASCADE

Complex Autonomous Aircraft Systems Configuration, Analysis and Design Exploratory

Project Lima
Project Lima

Exploring shared-airspace possibilities for all crewed and uncrewed traffic

Project Blueprint
Project Blueprint

Consortium to Open-Source the Blueprint for Drone Rollout Across the UK

Marwell Wildlife Collaboration
Marwell Wildlife Collaboration

Investigating innovative methods of wildlife conservation, monitoring and surveying


Connect with us



2024
Soton UAV