Sundancer: A Solar UAV Platform for Emergency Communications

In disaster-affected regions, communications infrastructure is often compromised. This compromization of infrastructure hinders coordination among rescue teams and limits victim outreach. To address this issue, this study explores the development of a purpose-built, lightweight, solar-powered fixed-wing UAV called Sundancer that is designed to provide emergency communications coverage autonomously to large geographic areas. In prior work, I built an autonomous aircraft that provided WiFi coverage to a large area. That aircraft could stay aloft for approximately 45 minutes on battery power. One operator could theoretically manage up to six aircraft by continuously landing, replacing batteries and relaunching. Extending the time each aircraft can stay in the air autonomously would significantly increase the number of aircraft one operator can manage, allowing one operator to cover a much larger area. This year’s iteration improves upon the prior system by incorporating a solar-powered propulsion system and highly efficient aerodynamic structures. Using tools such as CFD and XFOIL, an airfoil was selected and optimized. Sundancer achieves an average flight power draw of 225 W while circling in moderate winds. Solar input averages 160 W during normal conditions, and the aircraft carries a custom built 310 Wh battery. The aircraft has a predicted maximum flight duration of approximately 4.5 hours. This year’s iteration does not carry the communications payload from last year’s project, but it represents a platform that could be used in place of the airplane used in last year’s project. These results support the feasibility of small-scale UAVs for multi-hour autonomous missions. This design significantly reduces manpower and infrastructure requirements for providing communications in disaster areas.