Development, model, simulation, and real test of a new fully actuated quadrotor

This study presents the design, construction, and testing of a fully actuated quadrotor UAV prototype named FlapPyr that utilizes the "+" arrangement to produce horizontal forces. Four flaps are installed beneath each main motor to capture the airflow from propellers and generate aerodynamic forces perpendicular to them. A control allocation matrix is determined by modeling the complete structure and forces. This UAV suits applications requiring position control while maintaining zero tilting angles. Both software in the loop simulations and real-world tests are conducted to evaluate the system’s performance. The real-world tests highlighted the system’s sensitivity to external air disturbances, which can be addressed through robust control laws. The developed code for this work is publicly available on GitHub, and a video showcasing the experiments is also provided.