Autonomous Micro Air Vehicles with Hovering Capabilities

Abstract

Abstract : In this project was investigated novel concepts of micro aerial vehicles (MAVs) with vertical takeoff and landing capabilities. Two fixed-wing MAV configurations were tested in a wind tunnel. These concepts were a tilt-wing concept MAV by two non-coaxial counter-rotating propellers and a tilt-body concept based on coaxial motors and counter-rotating propellers. Values of thrust, torque, power, and efficiency were measured for these concepts. The development of an automatic control system and the investigation of the flight dynamics of the VTOL MAV during the hovering phase of flight were undertaken for the second stage of the project. The second focus of the project was on the development of a dynamic model for a flapping-wing air vehicle (ornithopter) and on the identification of the model parameters for this vehicle using in-flight data. The system identification procedure is proposed based on the value of a scalar objective function in the least squares sense. Finally, the ornithopter was equipped with an automatic control system that provides stability augmentation and navigation of the vehicle and flight data acquisition. Wind tunnel tests were conducted with the control surfaces fixed in neutral position and the flapping motion of the wings activated by a motor at a constant throttle setting. Coefficients of a lift, drag, and pitching moment were determined. The report is organized in six chapters comprised of papers published during the course of the project.