Autonomous hover capability of cycloidal-rotor Micro Air Vehicle
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This paper describes the autonomous hover-capability of a cycloidal-rotor aircraft (Cyclocopter) at Micro Air Vehicle (MAV) scale. Cycloidal rotors have a horizontal axis of rotation in which blades span parallel to the axis and perpendicular to direction of flight. The hybrid Cyclocopter is configured with two cycloidal rotors and a conventional tail rotor. Due to combination of independent RPM control of each motor and thrust vectoring of the cycloidal rotors, the Cyclocopter is highly maneuverable. An effective control strategy was developed to successfully demonstrate pitch, roll, and yaw capabilities. Based on the unique features of cycloidal rotors, the Cyclocopter has a potential to exceed performance of conventional rotary MAVs. Through a feedback controls system implemented by an onboard processor equipped with tri-axial gyros, accelerometer, microprocessor, and wireless communication components, the Cyclocopter achieved autonomous stable hover. 2013 by the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics, Inc. All rights reserved.
