THIS PROJECT -- AUTONOMOUS VEHICLE INFINITE AIR TIME APPARATUS OR AVIATA -- EXPLORES THE USE OF AN AUTONOMOUS DRONE SWARM THAT COLLECTIVELY LIFTS A PAYLOAD INTO THE AIR. IT CONSISTS OF A CENTRAL STRUCTURE HELD UP BY MULTIPLE DRONES WHICH CAN BE SWAPPED IN AND OUT BASED ON THEIR LEVEL OF CHARGE AND THUS PROVIDE REDUNDANCY IN THE EVENT OF FAILURE. THE RESULT IS A PAYLOAD THAT CAN REMAIN ELEVATED FOR A POTENTIALLY INFINITE PERIOD OF TIME IF SUFFICIENT DRONES AND/OR CHARGING STATIONS ARE AVAILABLE. POTENTIAL APPLICATIONS INCLUDE EMERGENCY RELIEF (E.G. SETTING UP A TEMPORARY CELL TOWER IN A REMOTE OR DISASTER-STRICKEN AREA) ENVIRONMENTAL MONITORING AND SUPPLY TRANSPORTATION. THIS RESEARCH PROJECT RELATES TO NASA ARMD S MISSION TOWARDS AUTONOMY IN CIVIL AVIATION: AVIATA PROVIDES INCREASED FUNCTION LEVEL AUTONOMY BY ENABLING A SWARM OF DRONES TO ACT AS ONE AND IT ENABLES ADDITIONAL MISSION-LEVEL AUTONOMY IN THE FLEXIBILITY THAT AN INDEFINITE FLIGHT TIME BRINGS. WE AIM TO BUILD A PROOF-OF-CONCEPT THAT SUPPORTS PAYLOADS OF UP TO 10 POUNDS AND DEMONSTRATES BOTH DRONE REPLACEMENT AND COLLECTIVE NAVIGATION. MECHANICALLY THE PAYLOAD WILL BE CONNECTED TO THE CENTRAL FRAME SUCH THAT ITS WEIGHT CAN BE EQUALLY DISTRIBUTED AMONG ALL ATTACHED DRONES. EACH DRONE WILL HAVE A RIGID CUSTOM-MADE ATTACHMENT THAT ALLOWS IT TO DOCK AT PREDETERMINED LOCATIONS ON THE FRAME USING A LATCH-BASED SYSTEM. TO FIND THESE DOCKING LOCATIONS THE FRAME WILL BE OUTFITTED WITH COLORED TARGETS THAT THE DRONE CAN RECOGNIZE. ON THE SOFTWARE SIDE DRONES WILL FLY FROM THE BASE STATION TO THE SWARM USING GPS THEN USE COMPUTER VISION TO DETECT COLORED TARGETS AT EACH ATTACHMENT POINT AND DOCK. COMMUNICATION BETWEEN DRONES WILL BE CONDUCTED USING A WIFI MESH NETWORK ALLOWING LOW-LATENCY COMMUNICATION EVEN AS THE NETWORK CHANGES DUE TO CONSTANT DRONE REPLACEMENT. AN OPERATOR AT THE BASE STATION WILL BE ABLE TO ISSUE NAVIGATIONAL COMMANDS WHICH EACH DRONE THEN TRANSLATES INTO INDIVIDUAL ACTUATOR OUTPUTS.