Helicopter Remote Manipulation of External Slingloads

In this Phase III SBIR, AOS has developed and demonstrated an autonomous sling-load cargo pick-up and delivery system named HERMES. HERMES can locate and identify loads, pick it up automatically without needing people in the dangerous zone directly beneath the helicopter, and deliver it to a precise location.

Our optical and radio frequency sensors are compatible with a wide range of flight computers and communications protocols, and our automatic cargo hooks can support 1,000 pounds. We have demonstrated the HERMES system on a customer's Unmanned Aerial System (UAS).

See video of demonstration