MAV (micro aerial vehicle) - definition
MAV (micro aerial vehicle) - definition
MAV (micro aerial vehicle) is a micro unmanned aerial vehicle (MAV) of small size and weight, designed for autonomous or remotely piloted flight in space-constrained environments. The term MAV refers to a class of very lightweight flying platforms whose wingspan or rotor diameter is typically no more than a few tens of centimetres and whose total mass is in the range of a few tens of grams to a few kilograms. Due to their compact design and high manoeuvrability, MAVs are used in applications requiring discretion, precision and the ability to operate in hard-to-reach areas.
Others MAV designs include various types of aerodynamic systems, including miniature aircraft, multi-rotors (e.g. quadcopters), helicopters and models inspired by biology - e.g. mechanical insects or birds. Thanks to advances in miniaturised electronics, sensorics, data processing and electric actuators, MAVs can be equipped with advanced navigation, stabilisation, image capture, communication and flight autonomy systems.
MAV applications include military reconnaissance, environmental monitoring, search and rescue, infrastructure inspection, precision agriculture and research tasks. Due to their small size and low thermal and acoustic signature, they are particularly useful in operations where minimal intrusion into the environment is important. In urban environments, they enable missions to be carried out in confined spaces, narrow corridors or hard-to-reach areas.
The technological challenges associated with MAVs mainly relate to energy constraints, flight stability in variable atmospheric conditions, positioning precision and integration of high-performance sensors while maintaining low weight. Adaptive control algorithms, trajectory planning, machine learning and multi-agent systems that allow multiple units to collaborate on a single mission are of great importance in MAV research and design.
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