2025 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

In this study, one high school student and two junior level engineering students are engaged in the design, development, fabrication and integration of a bioinspired Unmanned Aerial System (UAS). The shape and features of the UAS mimic those of a bat. The UAS, under development, uses echolocation to create a map of its surroundings. It then uses that map to navigate and avoid obstacles in the flight path. The students design the UAS, they create a mission profile and perform vehicle sizing. They also select a few off-the shelf components, create Computer Aided Design (CAD) parametric models, perform analyses using those models, update the design, and then use various fabrication techniques including 3D printing to build and assemble the vehicle. Electronic components are integrated. The students involved in the project start at an early stage of their academic journey. The high school student learned several new skills including computer modeling, testing, integration and flying. Similarly, the college junior students learned early in their engineering journey the use of various engineering tools and techniques. They learned the iterative nature of the design process and got hands-on experience with the research methodologies, fabrication and system integration. Student perceptions of the benefits of getting involved in research early in their academic careers are also included in the paper.