Design and Implementation of an Octocopter-type Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) for Underwater Environmental Data Acquisition Using the Ping 360 Sonar

The article presents the design, construction and testing of an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) for marine applications. The UAV design includes specially developed floats, allowing it to float on the surface of the water. The UAV is designed to acquire data in the water’s depths using Ping360 sonar. It is controlled using a dedicated remote controller, or alternatively, can carry out autonomous missions according to a preprogrammed scenario. The sonar data is transmitted in real time to the operator at the ground station for ongoing analysis. The article discusses in detail the subsequent design and construction stages, including the frame and float design, the system architecture, and the electronic and hardware layers. The final section presents the results of the analysis of flight parameters, obtained both during tests over land and in sea conditions.