UCF studies wing shapes to improve amphibious drone stability
UCF researchers are studying wing shapes to make amphibious drones more stable as they leave water.
The work focuses on egress, the split-second transition from water to air. It is one of the hardest maneuvers for unmanned aerial vehicles to perform, even though birds and mobula rays can appear to do it with ease in nature.
Associate Professor of Aerospace Engineering Samik Bhattacharya and aerospace engineering master’s student Dominic Polidoro are leading the nine-month project. The research is supported by a grant from the DEVCOM Army Research Office and is aimed at improving mathematical models for U.S. military amphibious vehicles.
In UCF’s Experimental Fluid Mechanics Lab, the team is using a water tank and 3D-printed wings to study how surface deformation, waves and vortex shedding interact as a wing exits water. Earlier work has shown that lift can rise sharply during egress, then reverse or drop before stabilizing, a rapid change that can cause instability and loss of control.
The findings could support future amphibious UAVs designed for military operations, coastal search and rescue, ocean monitoring and disaster response. Better models could help a single autonomous vehicle move reliably between water and air, reducing the need for separate systems and improving mission flexibility.