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Article
Publication date: 3 January 2023

Tri Bien Minh, Hien Vo and Luan Thanh Hua

The main purpose of the study was mechanical designing, simulation and manufacturing process for a new model of octocopter V-frame and to achieve simple manufacturing with 3D…

Abstract

Purpose

The main purpose of the study was mechanical designing, simulation and manufacturing process for a new model of octocopter V-frame and to achieve simple manufacturing with 3D printing technology. Moreover, the octocopter PID controller was simulated on the Simulink environment to get performance on the roll and pitch angle control.

Design/methodology/approach

Octocopter is one kind of multirotor vehicle (a rotorcraft with more than two rotors), that has lately gained a lot of attention for both the scientific and commercial spheres. With a greater number of rotors, the multirotor is very maneuverable and robust. Multi-copter makes an important contribution to the technological revolution in the military, industry, transportation, mapping and especially agriculture. Nowadays, we are heading to the four-industrial revolutions as well as the new technological application in the agricultural field such as precision agriculture, mapping and surveillance. Due to recently advanced technology about sensors, electronics, 3D printing, battery with high performance, multi-copter can be manufactured at low cost.

Findings

The V-frame octocopter was chosen to design in this paper; it had better performance scores including high redundancy rotors, high payload capability and affordable cost than another multi-copter family. The V-frame octocopter increasing freedom field of view of the camera was considered to place the camera position in the front of the drone.

Research limitations/implications

For the future aspects, the mechanical structure of the octocopter could be improved by using more advanced metal 3D printing to produce the aluminum or titan alloy materials for lighter and more rigid compared with ABS material, and finally the assembly to the real test.

Originality/value

The study shows the new platform of the V-frame octocopter kinematics analysis, designed on the CAD software, with some important mechanical parts using FEM analysis to find the highest stress and displacement under high load applied, the result of all connecting the joints 3D printing part is completely safe. Mechanical parts were manufactured by using 3D printing technology and CNC milling. Moreover, the study has shown V-frame octocopter simulation based on Simulink using the second method Ziegler- Nichols to find suitable parameters of the PID controller for roll and pitch angle. Using the block simulation is good for implementing and fast checking the new algorithm when building the new platform of the robot.

Details

International Journal of Intelligent Unmanned Systems, vol. 11 no. 3
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2049-6427

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 5 October 2022

Brajesh Kumar Singh and Awadhesh Kumar

The rotorcraft technology is very interesting area since last few decades due to variety of applications. One of the rotorcrafts is the quadrotor unmanned aerial vehicle (QUAV)…

Abstract

Purpose

The rotorcraft technology is very interesting area since last few decades due to variety of applications. One of the rotorcrafts is the quadrotor unmanned aerial vehicle (QUAV), which contains four rotors mounted on an airframe with an onboard controller. The QUAV is a highly nonlinear system and underactuated. Its controller design is very challenging task, and the need of controller is to make it autonomous based on mission planning. The purpose of this study is to design a controller for quadrotor UAV for attitude stabilization and trajectory tracking problem in presence of external environmental disturbances such as wind gust.

Design/methodology/approach

To address this problem, the model predictive control has been designed for attitude control and feedback linearization control for the position control using the linear parameter varying (LPV) approach. The trajectory tracking problem has been addressed using the circular trajectory and helical trajectory.

Findings

The simulation results show the efficient performance with good trajectory tracking even in presence of external disturbances in both the scenarios considered, one for circular trajectory tracking and other for helical trajectory tracking.

Originality/value

The novelty of the work came from using the LPV approach in controller design, which increases the robustness of the controller in presence of external disturbances.

Details

Aircraft Engineering and Aerospace Technology, vol. 95 no. 4
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1748-8842

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 12 December 2023

Jian Zhou, Shuyu Liu, Jian Lu and Xinyu Liu

The purpose of this paper is to introduce an improved system identification method for small unmanned helicopters combining adaptive ant colony optimization algorithm and Levy’s…

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to introduce an improved system identification method for small unmanned helicopters combining adaptive ant colony optimization algorithm and Levy’s method and to solve the problem of low model prediction accuracy caused by low-frequency domain curve fitting in the small unmanned helicopter frequency domain parameter identification method.

Design/methodology/approach

This method uses the Levy method to obtain the initial parameters of the fitting model, uses the global optimization characteristics of the adaptive ant colony algorithm and the advantages of avoiding the “premature” phenomenon to optimize the initial parameters and finally obtains a small unmanned helicopter through computational optimization Kinetic models under lateral channel and longitudinal channel.

Findings

The algorithm is verified by flight test data. The verification results show that the established dynamic model has high identification accuracy and can accurately reflect the dynamic characteristics of small unmanned helicopter flight.

Originality/value

This paper presents a novel and improved frequency domain identification method for small unmanned helicopters. Compared with the conventional method, this method improves the identification accuracy and reduces the identification error.

Details

Aircraft Engineering and Aerospace Technology, vol. 96 no. 1
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1748-8842

Keywords

Open Access
Article
Publication date: 13 September 2022

Mariusz Szóstak, Tomasz Nowobilski, Abdul-Majeed Mahamadu and David Caparrós Pérez

Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV), colloquially called drones, are widely applied in many sectors of the economy, including the construction industry. They are used for building…

1549

Abstract

Purpose

Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV), colloquially called drones, are widely applied in many sectors of the economy, including the construction industry. They are used for building inspections, damage assessment, land measurements, safety inspections, monitoring the progress of works, and others.

Design/methodology/approach

The study notes that UAV pose new, and not yet present, risks in the construction industry. New threats arise, among others, from the development of new technologies, as well as from the continuous automation and robotization of the construction industry. Education regarding the safe use of UAV and the proper use of drones has a chance to improve the safety of work when using these devices.

Findings

The procedure (protocol) was developed for the correct and safe preparation and planning of an unmanned aerial vehicle flight during construction operations.

Originality/value

Based on the analysis of available sources, no such complete procedure has yet been developed for the correct, i.e. compliant with applicable legal regulations and occupational health and safety issues, preparation for flying UAV. The verification and validation of the developed flight protocol was performed on a sample of over 100 different flight operations.

Details

International Journal of Intelligent Unmanned Systems, vol. 11 no. 2
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2049-6427

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 4 March 2022

Valeriia Izhboldina and Igor Lebedev

The successful application of the group of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) in the tasks of monitoring large areas is becoming a promising direction in modern robotics. This paper…

Abstract

Purpose

The successful application of the group of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) in the tasks of monitoring large areas is becoming a promising direction in modern robotics. This paper aims to study the tasks related to the control of the UAV group while performing a common mission.

Design/methodology/approach

This paper discusses the main tasks solved in the process of developing an autonomous UAV group. During the survey, five key tasks of group robotics were investigated, namely, UAV group control, path planning, reconfiguration, task assignment and conflict resolution. Effective methods for solving each problem are presented, and an analysis and comparison of these methods are carried out. Several specifics of various types of UAVs are also described.

Findings

The analysis of a number of modern and effective methods showed that decentralized methods have clear advantages over centralized ones, since decentralized methods effectively perform the assigned mission regardless of on the amount of resources used. As for the method of planning the group movement of UAVs, it is worth choosing methods that combine the algorithms of global and local planning. This combination eliminates the possibility of collisions not only with static and dynamic obstacles, but also with other agents of the group.

Originality/value

The results of scientific research progress in the tasks of UAV group control have been summed up.

Details

International Journal of Intelligent Unmanned Systems, vol. 11 no. 2
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2049-6427

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 29 March 2024

Min Wan, Mou Chen and Mihai Lungu

This paper aims to study a neural network-based fault-tolerant controller to improve the tracking control performance of an unmanned autonomous helicopter with system uncertainty…

Abstract

Purpose

This paper aims to study a neural network-based fault-tolerant controller to improve the tracking control performance of an unmanned autonomous helicopter with system uncertainty, external disturbances and sensor faults, using the prescribed performance method.

Design/methodology/approach

To ensure that the tracking error satisfies the prescribed performance, the authors adopt an error transformation function method. A control scheme based on the neural network and high-order disturbance observer is designed to guarantee the boundedness of the closed-loop system. A simulation is performed to prove the validity of the control scheme.

Findings

The developed adaptive fault-tolerant control method makes the system with sensor fault realize tracking control. The error transformation function method can effectively handle the prescribed performance requirements. Sensor fault can be regarded as a type of system uncertainty. The uncertainty can be approximated accurately using neural networks. A high-order disturbance observer can effectively suppress compound disturbances.

Originality/value

The tracking performance requirements of unmanned autonomous helicopter system are considered in the design of sensor fault-tolerant control. The inequality constraint that the output tracking error must satisfy is transformed into an unconstrained problem by introducing an error transformation function. The fault state of the velocity sensor is considered as the system uncertainty, and a neural network is used to approach the total uncertainty. Neural network estimation errors and external disturbances are treated as compound disturbances, and a high-order disturbance observer is constructed to compensate for them.

Details

Aircraft Engineering and Aerospace Technology, vol. ahead-of-print no. ahead-of-print
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1748-8842

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 25 August 2023

Aniello Menichino, Vittorio Di Vito, Gennaro Ariante and Giuseppe Del Core

Theadvanced air mobility (AAM) is defined by National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) as safe, accessible, automated and affordable air transportation system for…

Abstract

Purpose

Theadvanced air mobility (AAM) is defined by National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) as safe, accessible, automated and affordable air transportation system for passengers and cargo, capable of serving previously hard-to-reach urban and rural sites. The purpose of this paper is to focus on explaining potential solutions, under study by the authors, which could support beyond visual line of sight (BVLOS) operations for goods delivery in a safe way.

Design/methodology/approach

According to recent NASA-commissioned market studies, by 2030, there will be as many as 500 million flights a year for package delivery services and 750 million flights a year for passengers’ transportation (AAM). A significant number of these aircrafts will be unmanned aerial vehicles, meaning that they are self-flying or autonomous, of which the smallest ones are quadcopters: they are relatively inexpensive and are capable to perform various tasks, such as aerial observation, crop monitoring and treatment, search and rescue, power line monitoring and goods delivery. On the other hand, there are still many difficulties in introducing them into medium- and low-risk BVLOS routine operations for goods delivery: unfortunately, there are no regulations and technologies yet that enable these operations.

Findings

This conceptual paper outlines the studies about possible solutions, identified by authors, which could support BVLOS operations in a medium- and low-risk environment; in particular, the following aspects have been analysed: regulations, integrating control systems for drones, sensors (on board obstacle detection and avoidance), emergency management (emergency on ground system to identify safe landing areas), concepts of droneway (or flight corridors) and drones recovery hub.

Originality/value

The purpose of this paper is to provide a conceptual description of the possible solutions, under study by the authors, which could contribute enabling the BVLOS operations in a medium- and low-risk environment. The paper aims describing the state of the art, terms of regulations, classifications and limitations and describing possible conceptual solutions that could guarantee safety in introducing unmanned aircraft system operations inside urban areas.

Details

Aircraft Engineering and Aerospace Technology, vol. 95 no. 10
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1748-8842

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 20 February 2023

Erol Kayatas and Murat Celik

Any consensus about the effects of dihedral angle on hover rigidity of rotary-wing unmanned aerial vehicles (RW-UAVs) does not exist in the literature. There are researchers who…

Abstract

Purpose

Any consensus about the effects of dihedral angle on hover rigidity of rotary-wing unmanned aerial vehicles (RW-UAVs) does not exist in the literature. There are researchers who state that the dihedral angle has an effect on flight stability and researchers who claim the opposite. The discord stems from the different approaches of these groups to the concept of “stability,” the fact that they conduct experiments whose measurements are largely influenced by environmental conditions, and the physical assumptions are not similar. On the other hand, there is no study examining the effect of dihedral angle on the maneuverability of drones either. This study aims to analytically reveal the consequences of dihedral angles in RW-UAVs in terms of flight agility and maneuverability.

Design/methodology/approach

Dihedral angle examinations on both hover rigidity and maneuverability are carried out analytically. Equations of motions for a multicopter’s rigid body with a dihedral angle under two different conditions (zero and nonzero dihedral angles) are derived. Numerical simulations are conducted by defining the simulation parameters, and then displacement graphics for the center of mass are interpreted.

Findings

The presence of a dihedral angle makes the multicopter platforms behave like a pendulum, and this pendulum motion affects the disturbance rejection and the planar maneuver capabilities of multicopters. Since deflections can be spread to the orthonormal axes thanks to rotation about a pivot, net deflections of the geometric center may be diminished. Besides, pendulum motion eases the maneuvers with yaw rotations since the required rotation might occur without rotors’ revolution per minute changes.

Practical implications

Proposed dihedral angle implementation may enhance the hover stiffness and maneuverability capabilities of multicopters which, in turn, raise the performance of the drones.

Originality/value

This paper presents the analytical basis for the dihedral angle's effects on flight stability and agility.

Details

Aircraft Engineering and Aerospace Technology, vol. 95 no. 7
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1748-8842

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 20 April 2023

Zeyang Zhou and Jun Huang

This study aims to study the radar cross-section (RCS) of an intermeshing rotor with blade pitch.

Abstract

Purpose

This study aims to study the radar cross-section (RCS) of an intermeshing rotor with blade pitch.

Design/methodology/approach

The variation of rotor blade pitch is designed into three modes: fixed mode, linear mode and smooth mode. The dynamic process of two crossed rotors is simulated, where the instantaneous RCS is calculated by physical optics and physical theory of diffraction.

Findings

Increasing the pitch angle in the fixed mode can reduce the average RCS of rotor at the given head azimuth. The RCS curve of helicopter in linear mode and smooth mode will have a large peak in the side direction at the given moment. Although the blade pitch in smooth mode is generally larger than that in fixed mode, the smooth mode is conducive to reducing the peak and mean value of helicopter RCS at the given heading azimuth.

Originality/value

The calculation method for analyzing RCS of intermeshing rotor with variable blade pitch is established.

Details

Aircraft Engineering and Aerospace Technology, vol. 95 no. 8
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1748-8842

Keywords

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