Autonomous Solar-Electric UAV for Anti-Poaching Surveillance
The SPMA Ranger is an autonomous, solar-powered UAV built for anti-poaching surveillance. The frame combines carbon fiber rods with 3D-printed PLA parts; I validated every critical load path through Finite Element Analysis to keep the factor of safety above 2.0. Forty Sunpower flexible solar panels, wired in dual series-parallel strings, deliver a stable 12V at 8A, enough to run a 3-cell brushless motor pulling up to 10A.
A thermal camera on an onboard Raspberry Pi classifies human presence in real time, and GPS telemetry sends live intruder alerts. The modular airframe is built for fast field repairs and extended flight time.
We sized the aircraft around two constraints: solar panel voltage and motor compatibility. Those numbers shaped the wing, tail, and fuselage. The airfoil is an s7055-il, chosen for its soft curves and how easily it takes to monokote film. Carbon fiber rods carry the structural load; 3D-printed PLA parts keep the rest of the airframe modular and light.
I ran Finite Element Analysis in SolidWorks on the wing hinge, wing mount, and motor mount: real load estimates, realistic constraints, mesh convergence checks, each validated above a 2.0 factor of safety before it left the design phase. We leaned on RC aircraft forums, academic papers, and FAA/ASTM standards to keep the design durable, lightweight, and field-serviceable.
In flight testing, the Ranger lifted off and held pitch and yaw stability, which confirmed our weight estimates, stabilizer sizing, and motor selection. It came in under the predicted 6.67 lb weight, and the 3-cell brushless motor produced enough thrust for takeoff.
Roll instability stalled the aircraft and brought it down. The cause traced back to undersized ailerons: 7.5% of wing area instead of the recommended 10 to 15%. The outer wing hinge failed on impact exactly as designed, localizing the damage to the one part built to be replaceable. Everything else, the carbon fiber wings and the motor mount, held up, which matched what the FEA predicted. The flight validated most of the design and proved out the airframe, with one subsystem left to fix.