An Over-Actuated Hexacopter Tilt-Rotor UAV Prototype for Agriculture of Precision: Modeling and Control
This paper focuses on the modeling, control, and simulation of an over-actuated hexacopter tilt-rotor (HTR). This configuration implies that two of the six actuators are independently tilted using servomotors, which provide high maneuverability and reliability. This approach is predicted to maintain...
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| Format: | Article |
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MDPI AG
2025-01-01
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| Series: | Sensors |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/1424-8220/25/2/479 |
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| author | Gabriel Oliveira Pimentel Murillo Ferreira dos Santos José Lima Paolo Mercorelli Fernanda Mara Fernandes |
| author_facet | Gabriel Oliveira Pimentel Murillo Ferreira dos Santos José Lima Paolo Mercorelli Fernanda Mara Fernandes |
| author_sort | Gabriel Oliveira Pimentel |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | This paper focuses on the modeling, control, and simulation of an over-actuated hexacopter tilt-rotor (HTR). This configuration implies that two of the six actuators are independently tilted using servomotors, which provide high maneuverability and reliability. This approach is predicted to maintain zero pitch throughout the trajectory and is expected to improve the aircraft’s steering accuracy. This arrangement is particularly beneficial for precision agriculture (PA) applications where accurate monitoring and management of crops are critical. The enhanced maneuverability allows for precise navigation in complex vineyard environments, enabling the unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) to perform tasks such as aerial imaging and crop health monitoring. The employed control architecture consists of cascaded proportional (P)-proportional, integral and derivative (PID) controllers using the successive loop closure (SLC) method on the five controlled degrees of freedom (DoFs). Simulated results using Gazebo demonstrate that the HTR achieves stability and maneuverability throughout the flight path, significantly improving precision agriculture practices. Furthermore, a comparison of the HTR with a traditional hexacopter validates the proposed approach. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-cabee3a716ef4f6d81197205d205b77f |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 1424-8220 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-01-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Sensors |
| spelling | doaj-art-cabee3a716ef4f6d81197205d205b77f2025-01-24T13:49:05ZengMDPI AGSensors1424-82202025-01-0125247910.3390/s25020479An Over-Actuated Hexacopter Tilt-Rotor UAV Prototype for Agriculture of Precision: Modeling and ControlGabriel Oliveira Pimentel0Murillo Ferreira dos Santos1José Lima2Paolo Mercorelli3Fernanda Mara Fernandes4Department of Electroelectronics, Federal Center of Technological Education of Minas Gerais (CEFET-MG), Leopoldina 36700-001, BrazilDepartment of Electroelectronics, Federal Center of Technological Education of Minas Gerais (CEFET-MG), Leopoldina 36700-001, BrazilResearch Centre in Digitalization and Intelligent Robotics (CeDRI), Sustainability and Technology in Mountain Regions (SusTEC), Instituto Politécnico de Bragança (IPB), 5300-253 Bragança, PortugalInstitute for Production Technology and Systems (IPTS), Leuphana Universität Lüneburg, 21335 Lüneburg, GermanyFaculty of Minas Gerais (FAMINAS), Muriaé 36888-233, BrazilThis paper focuses on the modeling, control, and simulation of an over-actuated hexacopter tilt-rotor (HTR). This configuration implies that two of the six actuators are independently tilted using servomotors, which provide high maneuverability and reliability. This approach is predicted to maintain zero pitch throughout the trajectory and is expected to improve the aircraft’s steering accuracy. This arrangement is particularly beneficial for precision agriculture (PA) applications where accurate monitoring and management of crops are critical. The enhanced maneuverability allows for precise navigation in complex vineyard environments, enabling the unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) to perform tasks such as aerial imaging and crop health monitoring. The employed control architecture consists of cascaded proportional (P)-proportional, integral and derivative (PID) controllers using the successive loop closure (SLC) method on the five controlled degrees of freedom (DoFs). Simulated results using Gazebo demonstrate that the HTR achieves stability and maneuverability throughout the flight path, significantly improving precision agriculture practices. Furthermore, a comparison of the HTR with a traditional hexacopter validates the proposed approach.https://www.mdpi.com/1424-8220/25/2/479hexacopterover-actuated UAVtilt-rotor |
| spellingShingle | Gabriel Oliveira Pimentel Murillo Ferreira dos Santos José Lima Paolo Mercorelli Fernanda Mara Fernandes An Over-Actuated Hexacopter Tilt-Rotor UAV Prototype for Agriculture of Precision: Modeling and Control Sensors hexacopter over-actuated UAV tilt-rotor |
| title | An Over-Actuated Hexacopter Tilt-Rotor UAV Prototype for Agriculture of Precision: Modeling and Control |
| title_full | An Over-Actuated Hexacopter Tilt-Rotor UAV Prototype for Agriculture of Precision: Modeling and Control |
| title_fullStr | An Over-Actuated Hexacopter Tilt-Rotor UAV Prototype for Agriculture of Precision: Modeling and Control |
| title_full_unstemmed | An Over-Actuated Hexacopter Tilt-Rotor UAV Prototype for Agriculture of Precision: Modeling and Control |
| title_short | An Over-Actuated Hexacopter Tilt-Rotor UAV Prototype for Agriculture of Precision: Modeling and Control |
| title_sort | over actuated hexacopter tilt rotor uav prototype for agriculture of precision modeling and control |
| topic | hexacopter over-actuated UAV tilt-rotor |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/1424-8220/25/2/479 |
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