Development of a micro quad-rotor UAV for monitoring an indoor environment

Abstract

The purpose of this paper is to develop a micro UAV (Unmanned Aerial Vehicle) as the platform for monitoring an indoor environment, more specifically, a quad-rotor aircraft that has strong advantages of its small size, stable hovering and precise flight. To begin with, we analyze the dynamics of a quad-rotor aircraft, and introduce control strategies based on the PD control. Then, the developed micro quad-rotor UAV, equipped with micro controllers, various sensors, and a wireless camera, is presented and is compared with the DraganFlyer commercial quad-rotor aircraft. Finally, experimental results are also provided so as to illustrate stable flight performances. © 2009 Springer.