Advancements in UAV Technology and GCC Use Case Studies: From Solar Energy to Last-Mile Delivery

Seminar

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Date

18 Oct 2023
Organiser

Department of Aeronautical and Aviation Engineering
Time

11:00 - 12:00
Venue

HJ304 Map

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Summary

Abstract

Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs), commonly known as drones, have gained widespread popularity due to their rapid deployment and cost-effectiveness in real-world applications. For end-users in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) region, UAVs play a crucial role in solar photovoltaic (PV) inspection, mapping, last-mile delivery, precision agriculture, oil spill detection, and wildlife monitoring. Key stakeholders benefiting from UAV technology in the GCC include energy giant companies such as Total Energies, Qatar Energies, ARAMCO, and ADNOC. Despite the strong interest and intent of GCC stakeholders to leverage UAV technology for their business needs, several challenges persist, such as shorter battery endurance due to hot climate conditions. This presentation will delve into specific UAV research topics, such as fault diagnostics and tolerant control for multi-rotor UAVs and integrated flight/thrust vectoring control for jet-powered UAVs equipped with ACHEON propulsion. Furthermore, the presentation will shed light on the UAV research activities conducted in both Qatar and UAE. This includes insights into self-developed drone solutions, solar-powered UAVs, and innovative tilt-rotor UAVs designed for long-distance missions. Two essential use cases developed in Qatar, namely drone-based solar PV inspection and drone-based last-mile delivery, will be showcased as case studies. Concluding the presentation, ongoing UAV/Robot studies and potential research opportunities in the field of UAV technology will be explored and discussed.

Speaker

Dr Zhaohui Cen is a Lead Researcher/Scientist at the Technology Innovation Institute (TII), Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates (UAE), and specialises in intelligent automation for renewables and aerospace. Dr Cen brings to his role over 15 years of experience in the field of intelligent automation, condition monitoring and fault diagnostics for industrial systems including UAVs/Spacecrafts and Lithium-ion battery storage systems, as well as Robotics and Autonomous systems for Solar PV applications. He has held academic and research positions in China, UK, Qatar, and UAE. Prior to joining TII, he was a Scientist at Qatar Environment and Energy Research Institute (QEERI), and Group head of Robotics and Autonomous Systems. He has a successful track record as a Leading Principal Investigator, securing approximately 2 million USD in research funding and leading a consortium of 10 member institutions, including Texas A&M University, Carnegie Mellon University, TotalEnergies, and Midea. His work has been published in multiple high impact journals and international conferences and featured in newspapers. He is serving as an editorial board member for the Elsevier journal – Energy Nexus(since 2022) and SCI-indexed journal- International journal of Applied Mathematics and Computer Science since 2019, and also as symposium chair/TPC member for prestigious IEEE conferences such as SSCI 2019, and ISNN2018.