Publicação

An Over-Actuated Hexacopter Tilt-Rotor UAV Prototype for Agriculture of Precision: Modeling and Control

Detalhes bibliográficos
Resumo:	This paper focuses on the modeling, control, and simulation of an over-actuated hexacopter tilt-rotor (HTR). This configuration implies that two of the six actuators are independently tilted using servomotors, which provide high maneuverability and reliability. This approach is predicted to maintain zero pitch throughout the trajectory and is expected to improve the aircraft’s steering accuracy. This arrangement is particularly beneficial for precision agriculture (PA) applications where accurate monitoring and management of crops are critical. The enhanced maneuverability allows for precise navigation in complex vineyard environments, enabling the unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) to perform tasks such as aerial imaging and crop health monitoring. The employed control architecture consists of cascaded proportional (P)-proportional, integral and derivative (PID) controllers using the successive loop closure (SLC) method on the five controlled degrees of freedom (DoFs). Simulated results using Gazebo demonstrate that the HTR achieves stability and maneuverability throughout the flight path, significantly improving precision agriculture practices. Furthermore, a comparison of the HTR with a traditional hexacopter validates the proposed approach.
Autores principais:	Pimentel, Gabriel Oliveira
Outros Autores:	Santos, Murillo F. dos; Lima, José; Mercorelli, Paolo; Fernandes, Fernanda Mara
Assunto:	Hexacopter Over-actuated UAV Tilt-rotor
Ano:	2025
País:	Portugal
Tipo de documento:	artigo
Tipo de acesso:	acesso aberto
Instituição associada:	Instituto Politécnico de Bragança
Idioma:	inglês
Origem:	Biblioteca Digital do IPB

Descrição
Resumo:	This paper focuses on the modeling, control, and simulation of an over-actuated hexacopter tilt-rotor (HTR). This configuration implies that two of the six actuators are independently tilted using servomotors, which provide high maneuverability and reliability. This approach is predicted to maintain zero pitch throughout the trajectory and is expected to improve the aircraft’s steering accuracy. This arrangement is particularly beneficial for precision agriculture (PA) applications where accurate monitoring and management of crops are critical. The enhanced maneuverability allows for precise navigation in complex vineyard environments, enabling the unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) to perform tasks such as aerial imaging and crop health monitoring. The employed control architecture consists of cascaded proportional (P)-proportional, integral and derivative (PID) controllers using the successive loop closure (SLC) method on the five controlled degrees of freedom (DoFs). Simulated results using Gazebo demonstrate that the HTR achieves stability and maneuverability throughout the flight path, significantly improving precision agriculture practices. Furthermore, a comparison of the HTR with a traditional hexacopter validates the proposed approach.