Design and analysis of a gyroscopically controlled micro air vehicle

Much of the current research on micro air vehicle design relies on aerodynamic forces for attitude control. The aerodynamic environment in which micro air vehicles operate is characterized by a low Reynolds number and is not fully understood, resulting in decreased performance and efficiency when compared to large-scale vehicles. In this work, we propose a new rotary-wing micro air vehicle design that utilizes gyroscopic dynamics for attitude control. Unlike traditional micro air vehicles where attitude control moments are generated by aerodynamic control surfaces, the proposed vehicle will leverage the existing angular momentum of its rotating components to generate gyroscopic moments for controlling attitude. We explore this paradigm in an effort to reduce mechanical complexity that is inherent in blade pitch modulation mechanisms such as the swashplate, and to increase agility and possibly even efficiency when compared to state-of-the-art micro vertical-take-off-and-landing vehicles. The evolution of the mechanical design, including the evaluation of three prototypes that explore the use of gyroscopic attitude control, is presented along with a comprehensive dynamic and aerodynamic model of the third prototype. Two controllers that utilize gyroscopic moments are developed and tested in simulation. In addition, several experiments were performed using a VICON motion tracking system and off-board control. These results will also be presented