Development and Experimental Verification of a Hybrid Vertical Take-Off and Landing (VTOL) Unmanned Aerial Vehicle(UAV)

In this paper, we present the design and verification of a hybrid vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) of the type named dual-system or extra propulsion VTOL UAV. This paper features the comprehensive system development of such VTOL UAVs from all aspects, including the aircraft design and implementation, onboard devices integration, ground station support, and long distance communication. We proceed with aerodynamic analysis, mechanical design, and controller development. Finally, we verify by experiment that this hybrid VTOL UAV has the desired aerodynamic performance, flight stability, endurance and range. In addition, with the designed flight controller, the VTOL UAV can achieve full autonomous flight in a real outdoor environment. It serves a good platform for future research, such as vision-based precise landing, motion planing and quick 3-D mapping, as well as service applications, such as medicine delivery.