Projects/2026–

MOBIUS Tethered UAV Power System

NYU Abu Dhabi · CAIR with University of Patras

CHALLENGE

Keep a UAV aloft for long-duration observation by combining high-voltage tether power with an onboard battery for peak load and tether-side redundancy, while carrying a secure fiber data link and recording the complete power path during bench and flight tests.

MY CONTRIBUTION

Built the UAV, designed the optical communications architecture, consulted on the overall system design, co-authored the manuscript, and designed the monitoring software that synchronizes multi-source logging and supervised power-supply control.

OUTCOME

A working tethered UAV with fiber communications, continuous tether-powered flight at the NYUAD test field, two UAVoPoS voltage-range prototypes, bench hybrid-power validation, and a monitoring console. The paper is under review at IEEE Access.

Project overview

MOBIUS is a tethered aerial platform that delivers 400–800 V DC and fiber-optic communications through a 120 m hybrid tether to an airborne UAV power station (UAVoPoS). I built the UAV, designed the optical communications architecture over the tether fiber, consulted on the overall system design, and designed the monitoring software — the Integrated Experiment Console that merges the BK Precision ground supply, airborne converter telemetry, and MAVLink aircraft state into one synchronized 10 Hz record. University of Patras designed the Vicor-based converter and ideal-diode battery interface. Bench work reached about 1.75 kW from the tether-side converter and about 2.5 kW in hybrid operation. The manuscript is under review at IEEE Access.

System Record

My role: CONTRIBConceived CONTRIBCo-Authored CONTRIBDesigned CONTRIBBuilt CONTRIBSystem Integration CONTRIBExperimental Development
Domain: DOMAINAerial · Ground · Underwater Robotics DOMAINElectronics & Embedded Systems DOMAINPhotonics & Telecommunications DOMAINLab Automation & Instrumentation
Platforms: PLATFORMUAV Platform
Outcomes: OUTCOMEDeployed Prototype
Period: 2026–

Development & Validation

I built the UAV airframes used for the low-power quadrotor and large coaxial-octarotor flight demonstrations that carry the UAVoPoS and hybrid tether.
Field tests at the NYUAD court demonstrated continuous flight powered through the tether, with the hybrid cable supplying high-voltage DC while the aircraft hovered under tether constraint.
I designed the optical communications architecture that uses the tether’s single-mode fiber for an EMI-resistant ground–air data link alongside the 400–800 V DC power conductors.
I consulted on the overall MOBIUS architecture — ground supply, tether, airborne converter, battery assist, and aircraft integration — with University of Patras as the power-electronics partner.
Ground BK Precision PVS10005 supplies 400–800 V DC through a 120 m Linden SPE-7155 tether to a Vicor BCM4414 fixed-ratio converter. Two UAVoPoS prototypes cover 400–700 V and 500–800 V; a LiPo joins the bus through an ideal-diode MOSFET for Mode 2 peak support and redundancy.
University of Patras delivered the power electronics, STM32 firmware, schematics, and PCB package. NYUAD Machine Shop fabricated the HV/LV busbars and QS8 connector brackets.
I designed the monitoring software — the Integrated Experiment Console (v0.3.0) — a local web dashboard that joins PVS SCPI, firmware UART, and read-only MAVLink into a 10 Hz CSV with source age, derived tether loss and efficiency, virtual devices, and CSV replay.
The console’s software safety layer provides diagnostics, arming, and a narrowly scoped LAND request. It is research instrumentation, not a hardwired E-stop or certified flight controller.
Bench tests reported about 1.75 kW converter output and about 2.5 kW hybrid load, with flight validation on the platforms I built.

Credits & Collaborators

Nikolaos Giakoumidis
NYU Abu Dhabi · CAIR
Co-author · UAV build, optical communications, design consult, monitoring software
Anthony Tzes
NYU Abu Dhabi · CAIR
Senior academic lead
Nikolaos Evangeliou
NYU Abu Dhabi · RISC
Co-author · Flight and integration support
Emmanuel C. Tatakis
University of Patras
University of Patras lead
Georgios A. Salagiannis
University of Patras
Corresponding author · Power-electronics design
Laboratory of Electromechanical Energy Conversion
University of Patras
Power-electronics development partner
NYUAD Machine Shop
NYU Abu Dhabi
Busbars and QS8 brackets

Publications & media

Publication
2026
Compact and Redundant Power System for UAVs Combining Power-over-Tether and Battery
Source · IEEE Access, under review

Additional Media

FIELD TEST — CONTINUOUS TETHERED FLIGHT — NYU Abu Dhabi · CAIR with University of Patras · 2026–

Hexacopter hovering on the NYU Abu Dhabi outdoor court with the hybrid power-and-data tether hanging to the ground during a continuous tethered flight test

EXPERIMENT CONSOLE — LIVE TELEMETRY — NYU Abu Dhabi · CAIR with University of Patras · 2026–
MOBIUS Fieldline experiment console showing live power telemetry, source panels, and safety supervisor status

CONSOLE — POWER ROUTING VIEW — NYU Abu Dhabi · CAIR with University of Patras · 2026–
MOBIUS Fieldline console power-routing view with ground source, converter, battery, and aircraft load

POWER PATH — GOPOS TO UAV BUS — NYU Abu Dhabi · CAIR with University of Patras · 2026–
Schematic of the MOBIUS power path from ground power station through the tether to the UAV converter, battery MOSFET, and load

UAVOPOS PCB — MOBIUS ONBOARD — NYU Abu Dhabi · CAIR with University of Patras · 2026–
Top view of the MOBIUS OnBoard UAVoPoS printed circuit board with aluminum heatsink, fan headers, and high-voltage terminals

UAVOPOS ENCLOSURE — 800 V VARIANT — NYU Abu Dhabi · CAIR with University of Patras · 2026–
Green 3D-printed UAVoPoS enclosure labeled 800 V with cooling fans and high-current terminals visible

UAVOPOS OPEN — FANS & HEATSINK — NYU Abu Dhabi · CAIR with University of Patras · 2026–
Open MOBIUS OnBoard V1 assembly showing the PCB, aluminum heatsink, and three lid-mounted cooling fans

COOLING CAD — AIRFLOW PATH — NYU Abu Dhabi · CAIR with University of Patras · 2026–
CAD rendering of the UAVoPoS enclosure with three fans and red airflow arrows over the Vicor heatsink

FLIGHT DEMO — LOW-POWER QUADROTOR — NYU Abu Dhabi · CAIR with University of Patras · 2026–
Low-power quadrotor hovering outdoors during a MOBIUS tethered power flight demonstration

Challenge, contribution, and outcome