FURI | Fall 2023

Real-Time Force and Moment Feedback of a Hexarotor Drone

DC motors in multirotor drones are typically controlled via Pulse Width Modulation signals. These signals, however, have varied frequencies at different battery percentages and constant control signals. This leads to difficulties in controlling motor forces while flying the drone. To address this issue, this research models the correlation between motor angular velocity and thrust. To achieve this, an ESP32, a high-frequency, low-cost microcontroller, is being used to gather angular data, and an FT-300 force torque sensor is being used to measure the output wrench. These two platforms facilitate the creation of a closed-loop model capable of accurately modeling the thrust and moment of a hexarotor drone in real time.