Chapter 201 Successful Scientific Research Drone
"Do these drawings also need to be checked?" Xu Zhili asked somewhat helplessly.
On her first two visits, her design drawings were examined repeatedly. Although the sentries were very conscientious and responsible, she found this inefficient way of checking very difficult.
"All items brought into the factory area must be inspected; that's the rule."
The sentry meticulously unfolded and examined each sheet of the blueprints, and then carefully inspected her pencil case, notebooks, and even water bottle.
The whole process took nearly twenty minutes.
Looking at the growing queue behind her, Xu Zhili had an idea: if an automated security inspection robot could be designed, it would not only improve efficiency but also detect dangerous goods more accurately.
The thought flashed through her mind, but she suppressed it for the time being.
The most important thing right now is to present her drone plan to Director Chen.
In Director Chen's office, Xu Zhili unfolded her design drawings.
"A drone?" Director Chen pushed up his glasses and carefully examined the blueprints. "Is this a type of unmanned aircraft?"
“Yes,” Xu Zhili explained, “It can be remotely controlled by radio and equipped with photographic equipment for aerial reconnaissance. Compared to manned reconnaissance aircraft, it is small in size, difficult to detect, and even if it is shot down, it will not cause pilot casualties.”
Director Chen's eyes lit up: "This idea is very bold! But is it technically feasible? What is the range of radio remote control? How heavy can it carry?"
Xu Zhili answered one by one: "Based on existing radio technology, the control range can reach about 5 kilometers. The fuselage is made of lightweight wood and skin, and the power system can use a small gasoline engine. According to my calculations, it can carry about 5 kilograms of equipment and fly for about 30 minutes."
Director Chen stood up and paced around his office: "If this could really be achieved, it would be a revolutionary change for border reconnaissance! But..."
He stopped, looking troubled. "This project is too big; it's beyond the authority of our arsenal. We need to report it to the military region or even higher levels."
Xu Zhili nodded: "I understand. So I'll start by making some small-scale verification machines to prove that this concept is feasible."
Director Chen thought for a moment, then slammed his hand on the table: "Okay! I'll give you a team and the necessary materials first. Let's build a prototype. If it's successful, I'll report to the higher-ups."
Xu Zhili
For the next two weeks, Xu Zhili practically lived in the arsenal.
She led a five-person team to begin the development of drones.
The process was fraught with difficulties.
Insufficient engine power, inadequate material strength, and an unstable remote control system—problems arose one after another.
However, with her solid theoretical knowledge and creative problem-solving approach, Xu Zhili led her team to overcome one difficulty after another.
A month later, the first prototype was finally completed.
On the day of the test flight, a large crowd gathered at the small test range of the arsenal.
Everyone wanted to see if this "airplane that doesn't need a pilot" could actually fly.
Xu Zhili operated the remote control herself.
As she pushed the throttle, the drone accelerated on the runway, then lifted off lightly and soared into the blue sky.
A cheer erupted from the crowd.
The drone flew smoothly in the sky, performing various maneuvers, and finally landed accurately at the designated location.
The test flight was a complete success.
Director Chen excitedly grasped Xu Zhili's hand: "That's fantastic! I'll report this achievement to the military region immediately!"
The success of the drones made Xu Zhili a household name at the arsenal. She began to participate in more projects, from improving existing equipment to developing new products.
However, the cumbersome security checks every time she entered or left the factory area always bothered her. One day, after waiting in a long line for security again, she made up her mind to solve this problem.
"Director Chen, I have an idea."
Xu Zhili approached Director Chen, saying, "The security check efficiency in our factory area is too low, and there are often long queues. I have designed an automated security check device that can improve efficiency while ensuring safety."
Director Chen was very interested: "Automated security inspection equipment? What exactly does it look like?"
Xu Zhili unfolded the design drawings: "This is a conveyor belt system that uses X-ray scanning. People place their personal belongings on the conveyor belt, and through the scanning area, the operator can see the internal structure of the items on the monitor and quickly determine whether there are any dangerous items."
In addition, I designed a metal detection gate that automatically detects metal objects when people pass through.
Director Chen carefully examined the design drawings: "This idea is excellent! However, X-ray equipment is very expensive, and the technology is complex..."
“We can start with a simplified version,” Xu Zhili said. “The key is to improve efficiency. Right now, sentries manually check everyone’s bags, which is slow and incomplete. With this system, the inspection speed can be increased by at least three times, and it will be more accurate.”
After thinking for a while, Director Chen finally made the decision: "Okay! You can start a pilot project. Just let us know what resources and personnel you need!"
Xu Zhili immediately sprang into action. She assembled a small team, including mechanical engineers, electronic engineers, and radiation technicians (for the X-ray equipment). During the design process, she drew inspiration from the security inspection equipment concepts of later generations, but made significant simplifications based on current technological levels.
The biggest challenges are the X-ray source and the imaging system.
At that time, X-ray equipment was mainly used for medical purposes, and it was bulky and had poor image quality.
Xu Zhili designed a novel dual-energy X-ray system that can better distinguish different materials while reducing the size of the equipment.
Three months later, the first prototype of the security inspection machine was completed.
It looks bulky and rudimentary, but all the basic functions are implemented.
On the day of the trial run, the main leaders of the arsenal came to the site. Xu Zhili personally demonstrated the operation procedure of the security inspection machine.
"Workers place the bag on a conveyor belt and pass it through an X-ray scanning area. Operators can see images of the contents of the bag on a monitor here."
Hsu Chih-li explained, "Different materials will display different colors; metals are blue, organic materials are orange, and mixed materials are green."
She picked up a prepared test kit and placed it on the conveyor belt.
The bag contained a wrench (a simulated weapon), a book, and a lunchbox.
On the monitor, the three items were clearly visible, each a different color.
"This is much faster than opening the bags for inspection!" one leader exclaimed.
Next, Xu Zhi demonstrated the metal detector gate.
If a person carries more than a certain amount of metal when passing through, the door will sound an alarm.
"The sensitivity can be adjusted to avoid false alarms caused by belt buckles or small keychains," Xu Zhili added.
The trial run was a success.
The leaders immediately decided to install the system at the main entrance of the arsenal.
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