Fathiya Amani (Electrical Engineering ‘21), a team member, highlighted the significance of the flight controller as the brain of UAVs. "The main feature we emphasized this year is modularity, combining several subsystems: a microcontroller unit board as the main board and a navigation board, including a triple module board for real-time data logging. We named this system Antares FC," she explained.

Antares FC, with a smaller form factor and advanced features, became easier to adjust and develop due to its modularity. The triple modularity in the sensor comprised an IMU, barometer, and compass, enhancing data accuracy and providing backup capabilities for other sensors in case of failure.

"Antares also uses USB-C, a universal port widely used today," she added.

Muhammad Mumtaz (Information Systems and Technology ‘21), the team leader, revealed that the inspiration behind developing Antares FC was the frequent damage to electrical systems of UAVs, especially the FC due to malfunctions.

"As a result, we need an FC that is not only resilient, sophisticated, and compact but also affordable and capable of controlling various types of UAVs," he said.

Sinekar Lintang, another team member, explained that in terms of firmware, Antares could be integrated with a mission planner as its ground control software.

"We can already fly a UAV that is configured between a quadcopter and a fixed wing. Antares can be flown in different modes, including stabilize and altitude hold for quadcopter, and manual and altitude hold (fly-by-wire A) for fixed-wing. Antares' firmware can be equipped with additional features, enabling hardware-in-the-loop simulation with the help of an AirSim simulator," she detailed.

Position hold and autonomous modes were still undergoing testing and development, while other fully tested modes would be further developed and optimized over time.

The 23-member team initiated the development stage in early July and completed it in mid-September. Their success was attributed to the guidance of Anggera Bayuwindra, S.T., M.T., Ph.D., who provided valuable inputs on Antares' control systems. The team successfully demonstrated all intended features in both fixed-wing and quadcopter configurations during the final round of KRTI 2023 held in Lampung on September 22–27, 2023.

"Hopefully, this innovation can be commercialized and used for the benefit of society. Our next target is to showcase Antares in international competitions and achieve first place at KRTI 2024," proclaimed Mumtaz.

Reporter: Maharani Rachmawati Purnomo (Oceanography ‘20)
Translator: Ariq Ramadhan Teruna (Chemical Engineering ‘21)
Editor: Vera Citra Utami