Low Cost Autonomous Battery Replacement System for Quadrotor Small Unmanned Aerial Systems (sUAS) using 3D Printing Components

Quadrotor sUAS have a limited battery life, which limits the flight time of missions. Many other researchers have proposed battery replacement as a method of extending the flight time of an sUAS. However, the battery swapping methods in these previous designs were very complex. In this paper, a simpler method for battery swapping is proposed, which makes it easier to both attach and remove the battery from the quadrotor. In addition, all these designs can be implemented with 3D printers, reducing the cost for production. The battery swapping station consists of 4 components: main replacement portion, male and female funnel, modified battery sleeve, and rotating battery chassis. Experimentation showed that the system was able to replace a battery autonomously, using only sensor inputs. Tests on the battery case proved that the electric contact was reliable and the quadrotor sUAS could be armed and operated using the modified battery. However further experimentation is needed to successfully integrate the male funnel with an sUAS for field operations.