All-Terrain Cyclocopter Capable of Aerial, Terrestrial, and Aquatic Modes

Abstract

This paper describes the design and experimental validation of an all-terrain cyclocopter micro air vehicle capable of power-efficient aerial, terrestrial, and aquatic locomotion with seamless transition between the modes. The vehicle has a mass of 1010 g and solely relies on its four cycloidal rotors (cyclorotors) to achieve all modes of locomotion. The cyclorotor rotational speeds and thrust vectors are individually modulated to sustain stable hover in aerial mode. A similar control strategy using aerodynamic forces generated by cyclorotors is also implemented for aquatic locomotion. The wheels are efficiently integrated into the carbon fiber rotor endplates since cyclorotors rotate about the horizontal axis. As a result, the cyclocopter maneuvers in terrestrial mode by directly relying on motor torque. Seamless transition is accomplished using a retractable landing gear system equipped with polystyrene foam pontoons. In aerial mode, the cyclorotors operate at 1550 rpm and consume 232 W to sustain hover. Forward translation at 2 m/s in terrestrial mode requires 28 W, which is a 88% reduction from hover. In aquatic mode, the cyclorotors operate at 348 rpm and consume 19 W, which is a 92% reduction from hover. Overall, a versatile platform capable of multimodal operation is successfully demonstrated with only a modest addition in total mass.