Enabling multirotor UAVs to perch, land and detach with standard propeller guards

Area of Science:

• Robotics
• Aerospace Engineering
• Bio-inspired Design

Background:

• Multirotor uncrewed aerial vehicles (UAVs) face challenges with limited flight endurance and wind stability.
• Current perching solutions for UAVs often involve complex mechanisms, surface material restrictions, and sensor obstruction.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop an efficient and simple perching, landing, and detaching mechanism for multirotor UAVs.
• To overcome the limitations of existing perching methods by utilizing standard propeller guards and the ceiling effect.

Main Methods:

• A novel perching process was designed and implemented using standard propeller guards on multirotor UAVs.
• The method leverages the ceiling effect for energy saving and stability enhancement.
• Extensive testing was conducted on various surfaces and orientations to validate the approach.

Main Results:

• Achieved a 100% success rate in over 150 perching and detaching tests.
• Demonstrated significant energy savings (25%-100%) compared to hovering.
• Improved positioning accuracy by 50 times under strong winds due to stable environmental contact.

Conclusions:

• The proposed method offers a viable, mechanism-free solution for UAV perching, landing, and detaching.
• This approach enhances UAV stability, reduces energy consumption, and maintains sensor functionality.
• Autonomous perching and detaching capabilities were successfully demonstrated in real-world scenarios using onboard systems.