Comparison of Fixed and Variable Pitch Actuators for Agile Quadrotors

• Main Authors: Cutler, Mark Johnson (Contributor), Ure, Nazim Kemal (Contributor), Michini, Bernard J. (Contributor), How, Jonathan P. (Contributor)
• Other Authors: Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Aerospace Controls Laboratory (Contributor), Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Department of Aeronautics and Astronautics (Contributor)
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: American Institute of Aeromautics and Astronautics, 2013-11-07T20:16:08Z.
• Subjects: Article
• Online Access: Get fulltext

 This paper presents the design, analysis and experimental testing of a variable- pitch quadrotor. A custom in-lab built quadrotor with on-board attitude stabi- lization is developed and tested. An analysis of the dynamic di erences in thrust output between a xed-pitch and variable-pitch propeller is given and validated with simulation and experimental results. It is shown that variable-pitch actuation has signi cant advantages over the conventional xed-pitch con guration, includ- ing increased thrust rate of change, decreased control saturation, and the ability to quickly and e ciently reverse thrust. These advantages result in improved quadro-tor tracking of linear and angular acceleration command inputs in both simulation and hardware testing. The bene ts should enable more aggressive and aerobatic ying with the variable-pitch quadrotor than with standard xed-pitch actuation, while retaining much of the mechanical simplicity and robustness of the xed-pitch quadrotor.