Team 1

Semester four

AEREAL
ROBOTICS
 1

Contenido
Types of aerial robotics ........................................................................................... 2
Struture and design of aerial robotics ...................................................................... 3
Sensors............................................................................................................... 3
Structure ............................................................................................................. 3
Types of Multirotor Platforms................................................................................... 4
Components of aerial robotics ................................................................................. 5
Planning and controlling .......................................................................................... 5
Application of aerial robotics.................................................................................... 6
Biological inspirations .............................................................................................. 7
 2

Types of aerial robotics

Aerial Vehicles: Aerial vehicles are any machine that flies in the air. Common
types include helicopters, planes, and drones. These machines can be used for
various purposes, including transportation, surveillance, and delivery.
Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAV): UAVs can be used for various purposes,
including security, aerial photography, mapping, meteorology, and agricultural
surveillance. Some of the most popular UAVs include the DJI Phantom 2 and the
Mavic Pro.
Autonomous Aerial Vehicles (AAV): are aerial robotics that can navigate and
operate without human intervention. These vehicles have been developed for
various applications, including surveying, mapping, and surveillance. AAVs have
the potential to revolutionize the way we interact with our environment and improve
our safety.
Aerial Geophysical Sensors (AGSs): have become popular due to their ability to
collect high-resolution imagery and data with minimal impact on the environment.
Some of the most popular aerial robotic systems used for geophysical surveying
include airborne laser scanning (ALS), multispectral scanning (MSS), synthetic
aperture radar (SAR), and infrared imaging spectroscopy (IRIS). Each system has
unique capabilities that make it an optimal choice for different surveys.
 3

Struture and design of aerial robotics

Sensors
Sensors are generally classified according to the type of stimulus they detect.
Among the most common types we will find the following sensors:
1.-Tactile and force sensors: These allow the robot to feel contact and pressure.
2.-Proximity and ultrasound sensors: Facilitate the detection of nearby objects.
3.-Vision sensors: Cameras and machine vision systems.
4.-Orientation and motion sensors: Such as gyroscopes and accelerometers.
6.-Environmental sensors: Detect temperature, humidity, and other environmental
factors.

Structure
Mechanics is the study of motion and its causes. In Aerial Robotics, mechanics are
used to design efficient mechanisms for aerial vehicles.
Mechanics can be divided into kinematics, dynamics, and control.
Kinematics deals with the study of motion in space and time, while dynamics
studies change over time. Control deals with the implementation of the desired
motion.
Aerial Robotics uses principles from all three of these categories to design efficient
mechanisms for aerial vehicles.
One principle used in aerial robotics is Bernoulli's equation.
Bernoulli's equation is essentially a mathematical way of expressing Bernoulli's
principle more generally, considering changes in potential energy due to gravity.
We'll derive this equation in the next section, but before we do, let's look at what
Bernoulli's equation looks like, develop an idea of what it says, and see how we
can use it.
 4

Types of Multirotor Platforms

Helicopter (HL): Consists of a main horizontal rotor, providing vertical lift, and a
tail rotor mounted vertically to eract the torque from the main rotor. This type of
actuation makes HLs UDT. Despite this, HLs were one of the first platforms
employed for aerial manipulation.
Ducted Fan (DF): Consists of a main propeller mounted within a cylindrical duct
together with some control surfaces. The first creates the total thrust, while the
seconds generate moments to control the vehicle attitude. In view of this, it is easy
to verify that standard DF platforms are UDT.
Parallel Propellers (ParP): Consists of a main rigid frame equipped with multiple
propellers fixed to the main frame. Every propeller is directed toward the same
direction and typically arranged on the same plane. In the most common cases,
they are characterized by four, six, or eight propellers, thus, commonly called
quadrotor, hexarotor, octorotor.
Tilted Propellers (TedP): Consists of a main rigid frame equipped with multiple
propellers fixed to it. The propellers are directed toward multiple directions.
According to the number, orientation, and type (unidirectional/bidirectional) of
propellers, such platforms can be FA, OA, or even OD.
Tiltable Propellers (TableP): Consists of a main rigid frame and multiple
propellers fixed to movable actuated elements (servo motors). Thanks to the extra
actuation, the propellers can be directed toward multiple directions in an
independent or coordinated way according to the specific actuation configuration.
Multirotor Morphing (M): Consists of a main body composed by actuated links.
Each link, or part of them, is then equipped with one (or multiple) titled- or tiltable-
propellers.
Multiplatform Systems (MP): consists of multiple multirotor platform (belonging to
the previously described types) physically connected forming a new articulated
flying platform.
 5

Components of aerial robotics

The control system coordinates and controls all of these components. It receives
input from sensors that measure altitude, orientation, and speed.
This information is then used to determine how to move the actuators to achieve
the desired outcome.
Actuators are the physical parts of an aerial robot responsible for moving it through
the air.
They can be motors, propellers, or even flapping wings. Sensors allow the control
system to understand its surroundings and make informed decisions about how to
move.
A payload is what is being transported by an aerial robot; it could be a payload
such as a camera or a sensor unit, or it could be a human being or object.

Planning and controlling

The use of aerial robotics has become increasingly popular in recent years. Aerial
robotics can be used for various purposes, such as inspection, mapping,
surveying, crop assessment, and many other similar tasks. Aerial robotics planning
and control is an important part of aerial robotics operations.
The system must be able to navigate the environment while performing its task
accurately. Additionally, the system must be able to control the drone's flight path
and payload to achieve the desired results. Several different methods can be used
to plan and control robotic aerial systems.
Some standard methods include GPS navigation, inertial navigation systems (INS),
global positioning systems (GPS), laser scanning technology, and computer-aided
design (CAD) software.
 6

Application of aerial robotics

Surveillance and Security: Drones and UAVs are used for surveillance of large
areas, borders, critical facilities and events, improving security.
Agriculture: Agricultural drones are used to monitor crops, assess plant health,
and optimize the use of pesticides and fertilizers.
Delivery and Logistics: Companies are exploring the use of drones for rapid
package delivery in urban and remote areas, streamlining logistics.
Mapping and Surveying: Aerial robotics is valuable for topographic mapping,
cartography and three-dimensional terrain modeling, facilitating urban planning and
environmental management.
Search and Rescue: UAVs can be deployed in hard to reach areas or in
dangerous situations to search and locate people in emergency situations.
Infrastructure Inspection: Drones are used to inspect power towers, power lines,
bridges and other hard-to-reach places, reducing risks for workers.
Environment: Aerial robotics are used in environmental monitoring, wildlife
tracking, air quality assessment and climate change tracking.
Entertainment and Filming: Drones equipped with cameras are used in the
entertainment and film industry to capture unique aerial images and
creative perspectives.
 7

Biological inspirations

In aerial robotics, designers often take inspiration from nature to create efficient
and functional mechanical structures. Examples of biologically inspired designs
include:

Bird-inspired wings: The wings of some drones mimic the morphology of birds,
allowing for more agile and efficient maneuvers. Solutions that mimic the flexibility
and adaptability of feathers are sought.
Robot Bird Designs: Some researchers have developed flying robots that mimic
the appearance and flight of real birds, allowing for quieter flight and better
integration into natural environments.
Insect-Inspired Lightweight Structures: The anatomy of insects such as
butterflies or bees serves as inspiration for designing lightweight and efficient
structures. These designs can improve the agility and energy efficiency of aerial
robots.
Adaptation to Variable Environments: The ability of some animals to adapt to
changing environments inspires the creation of drones capable of adjusting their
shape or behavior according to environmental conditions.
Vertical Landing Inspired by Dragonflies: Some drones incorporate vertical
landing mechanisms inspired by the ability of dragonflies to land on different
surfaces efficiently.
Fish-Based Propulsion Systems: The way fish move in the water may inspire
aquatic propulsion systems for drones, especially in environments where the water
is not a water body.