Document Type
Poster
Journal/Book Title/Conference
College of Engineering Senior Design Projects
Publisher
Utah State University
Location
Logan, UT
Publication Date
2020
Abstract
For the 2020 Air Force Research Laboratory design competition, teams were challenged to develop a system to assist Combat Search and Rescue (CSAR) in recovering a downed pilot in contested waters.
In the event of a pilot ejecting from their aircraft, a GPS beacon notifies CSAR of the pilot’s approximate location. During the rescue operation, a swimmer from a CSAR crew enters the water and assists the isolated person (IP) to use rescue equipment.
The current procedure exposes an additional person to hazards and increases IP extraction time. The additional required personnel and setup time increases mission risk.
USU’s student design team focused on decreasing the required time to visually locate and extract the IP. The team interviewed subject matter experts to determine technical requirements and split into location and retrieval sub-teams.
The location team designed a more effective visual signaling system to fit in current ejector seat equipment packs. The rescue team designed a system easily usable by IPs to eliminate the need for a CSAR swimmer.
Recommended Citation
Cornia, Daniel; Bennett, James; Halton, Matthew; Bennett, Matthew; Haws, Brandon; Compton, Tyson; Needham, Jacob; Spreier, Daniel; and Van Dyke, Thory, "AFRL Downed Airman Recovery System" (2020). Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering. Paper 21.
https://digitalcommons.usu.edu/maeengr_srdesign/21