Design and Implementation of Morphed Multi-Rotor Vehicles with Real-Time Obstacle Detection and Sensing System.

Area of Science:

• Robotics
• Aerospace Engineering
• Mechanical Engineering

Background:

• Multirotor unmanned aerial vehicles (MUAVs) offer versatile flight capabilities but struggle in confined, obstacle-rich environments.
• Conventional MUAVs lack the ability to alter their configuration, limiting their applicability.
• Autonomous shape-changing (morphing) is crucial for MUAVs to adapt to dynamic workspaces.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a morphing MUAV capable of altering its geometric structure autonomously.
• To enable MUAVs to reduce their workspace volume for navigating obstacle-prone regions.
• To demonstrate a functional morphing mechanism for enhanced aerial navigation.

Main Methods:

• Development of a morphing MUAV utilizing a rotary actuation mechanism for arm movement.
• Formulation of mathematical models and kinematic analysis for the folding mechanism.
• Integration of ultrasonic sensors for real-time obstacle avoidance and actuation control.
• Conducting flight tests to evaluate morphing capabilities and endurance.

Main Results:

• Successful implementation of a simple rotary actuation mechanism for smooth arm movement.
• Validation of mathematical models and kinematic analysis for synchronous arm folding.
• Demonstration of obstacle avoidance through sensor-actuated morphing.
• Achieved seamless transition between "X-Configuration" and "H-Configuration" during flight tests.

Conclusions:

• The developed morphing MUAV effectively reduces its workspace volume for navigating confined spaces.
• The synchronized, delay-free actuation of arms enables dynamic configuration changes.
• This technology significantly enhances MUAV adaptability and mission capability in complex environments.