• +1-703-684-6777
  • See footer

Carnegie Mellon Tartan Air Rescue TRAAV-160 (concept design)

Tartan Rescue Autonomous Air Vehicle (TRAAV-160) hybrid-electric VTOL (concept design)

(Image credit: Carnegie Mellon University Robotics Institute, Tartan Air Rescue Team)

Tartan Rescue Autonomous Air Vehicle (TRAAV-160) (concept design)
Tartan Air Rescue
Carnegie Mellon University Robotics Institute
Carnegie Mellon University
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
www.ri.cmu.edu

The institution was established in 1900 by Andrew Carnegie as the Carnegie Technical Schools. In 1912, it became the Carnegie Institute of Technology and began granting four-year degrees. In 1967, it became Carnegie Mellon University. In 1979, the Carnegie Mellon University Robotics Institute was founded.

The Robotics Institute at Carnegie Mellon University main purpose is solving humanity’s toughest challenges through robotics. The Robotics Institute develops interdisciplinary solutions in the attempt to help every aspect of human life — making things safer, more efficient and more productive. The Robotics Institute educates, mentors and empowers ambitious roboticists students to anticipate the future and then to build the robotics needed to take humanity into the future.

Tartan Air Rescue is the the Robotics Institute team of students that participated in the GoAERO prize competition and was a GoAERO Stage One winner. In addition, the team was one of 14 NASA University Innovation Award winners. The Tartan Air Rescue Team Lead is Steven Willits and the Team Members include Sebastian Scherer, Scott Austin, Tahseen Arefeen, Robbi Exley, Trevor Grant, Ian Higgins, Darion Homayoon, Leo Hsu, Kabir Kedia, Rory Landau, Chadd Merrill, Andrew Sue, Mariam Sulleiman, Tianqi Yu and Qufei Zhang.

Team Lead Willits notes that autonomous eVTOL flying aircraft, particularly drones, have become very capable in the past five years, with many advancements in new low SWaP (Size, Weight and Power) technology. For example, he states the research done at Carnegie Mellon University on sensor fusion algorithms enables real-time situational awareness in many different and austere environments that rescue aircraft operate in. 

The Robotics Institute has been testing search and rescue small drones in underground environments such as caves and mines. In addition, the department also tested drones in wildfire areas where heavy smoke, high winds and heat envelop the situation. The institute has also been active in developing new methods for odometry, stereo vision, aircraft detection and tracking, obstacle avoidance, and planning.

Willits states, "The largest challenge from a technical perspective is the reliability of the aircraft and autonomy system." These unknowns include wildfire smoke, high heat, fog, rain, snow, trees, night time flying, windy conditions, low lighting, and ground obstacle detection that need to be avoided when landing that can severely blind the sensors. And meet FAA requirements." Remote operators oversee the missions from a command center, guiding the vehicle through complex environments, coordinating supply pick up, and directing supplies and people to safety.

Tartan Rescue Autonomous Air Vehicle (TRAAV-160) hybrid-electric VTOL (concept design)
The Tartan Rescue Autonomous Air Vehicle (TRAAV-160) is a hybrid-electric VTOL that has the capacity to hold one passenger, medical supplies and medical equipment. The aircraft is planned to fly autonomously for 80% of the rescue mission with 20% of the flight being controlled by a remote drone pilot. The aircraft is intended to be used for disaster scenarios such as nuclear spills, underground search and rescue, urban areas, wildfires and bridge inspections. The ultimate goal of the aircraft is to be a highway transportable aircraft ready to deploy within 30 minutes from anywhere in the world.

The estimated cruise speed of the aircraft is 60 mph (97 km/h) and has an anticipated flight time of 90 minutes. The aircraft has 12 stacked propellers, 12 electric motors and is powered by a hybrid-electric power source using a turbine engine and associated batteries. The calculated empty weight of the aircraft is 1,200 lb (544 kg), has a maximum payload weight of ~300 lb (136 kg) and has a maximum takeoff weight of 1,500 lb (680 kg). The fuselage is made from carbon fiber composite to give the aircraft a high strength to low weight ratio. The aircraft has fixed skid landing gear.

Sensors expected to be used on drones:

  • Orin AGX: Processes and integrates data from multiple aircraft sensors
  • Mesh Radios: Communicates information to ground station personnel
  • Multiple Types of Cameras: Depth perception during flight
  • LiDAR: 3D opstacle detection during flight
  • Radar Altimeter: Determines altitude for safe navigation 
  • Motor controller: Dynamic adjustments to propeller speeds
  • Autopilot: Self-flying of aircraft

About the GoAERO Prize Competition
The GoAERO Prize, sponsored by Boeing, is a three year competition (2024-2027) offering over $2 million USD in prizes that challenges engineers worldwide to create portable, versatile and autonomy-enabled Emergency Response Aircraft that address not only everyday medical emergencies but also to be used in natural disasters, humanitarian emergencies and climate crises worldwide. Each team designs and builds autonomous Emergency Response aircraft capable of delivering a first responder, medical equipment and supplies and ultimately evacuating victims in need to a rescue ambulance or hospital.

More than 150 teams from around the globe are competing for the GoAero prizes. The GoFly and GoAERO prizes were developed by Boeing and other organizations to help the nascent advanced air mobility (AAM) industry move forward.

Editor's Note:
It is important to remember that all concept design aircraft specifications are estimated and can or will change as prototypes and production models are made, tested and flown with real world avionics, components and payloads.

Tartan Rescue Autonomous Air Vehicle schematic. Image credit: Carnegie Mellon University Robotics Institute, Tartan Air Rescue Team.

Tartan Rescue Autonomous Air Vehicle schematic. Image credit: Carnegie Mellon University Robotics Institute, Tartan Air Rescue Team.

Specifications:

  • Aircraft type: Uncrewed rescue hybrid-electric eVTOL multicopter (concept design)
  • Piloting: Autonomous and 1 remote pilot. Capable of autonomous flight for 80% of a rescue mission.
  • Capacity: 1 passenger, medical supplies and medical equipment
  • Cruise speed: 60 mph (97 km/h)
  • Flight time: 90 minutes
  • Empty weight: 1,200 lb (544 kg)
  • Maximum payload weight: ~300 lb (136 kg)
  • Maximum takeoff weight: 1,500 lb (680 kg)  
  • Propellers: 12 stacked propellers
  • Electric motors: 12 electric motors
  • Power source: Hybrid-electric power source
  • Fuselage: Carbon fiber composite
  • Windows: Unknown
  • Landing gear: Fixed skid landing gear
  • Safety features: Distributed Electric Propulsion (DEP) uses multiple propellers or electric ducted fans, each powered by electric motors, to increase safety through redundancy. If one or more components fail, the remaining ones can still ensure a safe landing. There are also redundancies of critical components in the sub-systems of the aircraft providing safety through redundancy. Having multiple redundant systems on any aircraft decreases having any single point of failure. The aircraft has no moving surfaces or tilting parts when transitioning from vertical to forward flight and the reverse which increases safety by reducing complexity.

Company Insights:

Resources:

 

 

About us

Administered by The Vertical Flight Society
 This information on this website is provided for public use. However, you may not copy entire sections of this website and post them on your own website — because that's plagiarism!

For information on joining VFS, add additional eVTOL aircraft ≥300 lb (136 kg) or to report an error, please contact us through VFS headquarters.

Our Contacts

2700 Prosperity Ave, Suite 275
Fairfax, Virginia, USA - 22031
Phone: +1-703-684-6777
Email: See footer

Latest Tweets

2026 © The Vertical Flight Society. The Electric VTOL News™, eVTOL.news™ and eVTOL News™ are trademarks of The Vertical Flight Society.

Powered by: Electric VTOL News™