Design and development of UGS flapping wing MAVs

This paper describes the design, build and fly University of Glasgow Singapore (UGS) flapping wing MAVs using fabrication method such as laser cutting and Rapid Prototyping. The first prototype was made from acrylic using a laser cutting machine. The material was strong however it was brittle. The wings were made up of carbon rods and kite material Ripstop. First test showed that the wings were too heavy for the mechanism to work. The second and final prototype was a smaller single gear crank design which was fabricated using a 3D printer. Initial test proved that the prototype 2 could withstand the high frequency flapping required for lift. The second test performed was to tether it on a string. At high frequency the prototype 2 was able to move in a circular motion

Modular Quadrotor MAVs

Historically, helicopters with four rotors (quad-rotors) have been very uncommon, mainly due to the fact that most of the common payloads could be lifted using one or two rotors. However, the quad-rotor possesses some special characteristics that make it attractive. One would be the superior payload capacity. Two, is the simplicity of the control system: the absence of complex rotor mechanisms and just by independently adjusting the speed of each rotor it is possible to control both the attitude and the horizontal/vertical motion. This system is particularly suitable for small unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV), because it reduces the complex mechanism of the rotors (saving volume and weight) and simplifies the control algorithms required for stable, untethered flight. Although much progress has been made in the field of quad-rotor UAVs, it is still a great challenge to build a quad-rotor capable of fully autonomous flight. Before the decision of appropriate control algorithms, it is essential to have complete understanding of quad-rotor dynamics and equation of motion. This technical paper presents a detailed quad rotor model design as well as the detailed algorithm for the control system. An ANSYS flow simulation was carried out on the modular structure of the quad rotor. Different sensors were integrated with the control system to improve the stability and to reduce the pilot\u92s workload. Its capabilities will be enhanced with semi-autonomous and autonomous functions that were implemented with the usage of GPS

Design and Build of Swarm Quadrotor UAVs at UGS

At the University of Glasgow, we have been developing the swarm of autonomous micro-unmanned aerial vehicle (?-UAVs), as a part of team projects of the final yearproject design course: Aerospace Systems Design Project 4for our BEng in Aerospace Systems program. For our Singapore campus, where similar course is conducted, the platform chosen is the quadrotor. In this paper, we present the conceptual design, construction, flight test, swarm behaviour and lessons learnt