Design and Analysis of a Single-rotor UAV for Safe Indoor Navigation
Shubhodeep Shiv Aditya, Bharat Bhushan, Atul Kumar Agarwal · 2023
Initially developed for use in the military, UAVs these days are now being produced commercially, with deployment in various fields. This technology is constantly evolving, with recent research focusing on smaller drones that can function in constrained spaces and work collaboratively. The development of ‘indoor’ UAVs poses challenges not only in the domain of localization and GNSS-denied navigation, but also in the design and development of special indoor UAVs, since they are prone to damage when operating in a cluttered environment. Propellers and control surfaces are fragile and are usually the first parts to endure damage in case of a crash. This paper explores an efficient and unconventional UAV, designed specifically for indoor navigation, that can endure minor crashes without damaging propellers and control surfaces. The unique design uses a single rotor along with two sets of control surfaces, like a tail-sitter, to hover and maneuver. The design decisions are verified by aerodynamic analysis of various elements of the design.