Systematic design methodology and construction of micro aerial quadrotor vehicles

Abstract

This chapter presents a guideline to systematically design and construct an ultralight micro aerial quadrotor vehicle, capable of autonomous flight. The guideline details the steps to design a stable quadrotor with not more than 50 g takeoff weight while having a flight duration of 8 min. Optimization was done to all mechanical parts of the vehicle with the constraints of its weight and its performance. The guideline first covers the structural analysis of the micro quadrotor air frame, followed by its design in a 3D virtual simulator. Then, design of avionic system such as processor and sensors will be discussed, followed by controller implementation with the aid of software simulation. Components of the micro quadrotor are then fabricated and implemented based on the optimum results obtained from various simulations. Finally, the feasibility of the constructed aircraft is tested and confirmed with real flight missions.