Guest Speaker-Dave Foye

Date: Fall 2014
Time: 90 min. (two different class periods)
Student: Entire class

We thought it was important to get as much background information on motors and power demands so we could better determine motor size, prop size, loads, etc.. Dave Foye (retired Systems Engineer from Trane) has come into speak to my classes in past years. He was kind enough to agree to take some time and focus directly on our UAV project. Thanks Dave!

In the picture below, you see a demonstration Dave designed for the class to help illustrate some of the concepts he discussed.

Below Dave is talking to the class on efficiency of UAV's (Fixed wing vs. Multirotor)

Dave talking to a smaller group of students on power requirements.

Logan PLTW Digital Electronics UAV Project

The PLTW-Digital Electronics class at La Crosse Logan High School is partnering with Dairyland Power Cooperative to design an Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) which could be used for inspection of power line structures located in difficult terrain. The target date for project completion is the summer of 2015. Funding for the project was made possible by a grant from the La Crosse Public Education Foundation.

 The class will design, program and fabricate the UAV with the following targeted goals:

 1. Inspect power lines for vegetation and overgrowth that could potentially cause a power outage.

 2. Incorporate a First Person View (FPV) system so the flight of the UAV can be monitored by a ground station.

 3. Design the UAV so the GPS coordinates of the power poles can be programmed into the flight plan.

 4. Design/program a thermal camera into the inspection system.

The purpose of the Digital Electronics Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Blog is to document the progress of the UAV Project at La Crosse Logan High School.

Pictured below are Logan Digital Electronics students meeting with Ed West at Dairyland Power for a planning meeting to help define the parameters of the UAV Project in the fall of 2014. Students were then given a tour of Dairyland Power which they enjoyed.