Project Bird Brain: Development of an Avionics Package for a Robotic Ornithopter

Abstract

Small UAVs have many civilian and military applications. Flapping wing UAVs combine multiple modes of flight, enabling desirable performance in cruising conditions as well as low Reynolds number flight. Flapping UAVs are also safer and quieter than fixed wing and rotary wing equivalents but have been the subject of less research. In order to further equip an open-loop robotic ornithopter for dynamics analysis and the implementation of control, an on-board avionics package was designed to collect data on orientation, accelerations, tail position, and wing position during flight. The system was designed to integrate with existing hardware while providing a platform for expansion to different forms of communication and control. The package was fabricated, and recorded data was validated and calibrated using tests performed in a motion capture environment. Analysis revealed highly accurate orientation estimation in aircraft pitch and roll, while yaw estimation suffered from magnetic variability in the testing environment. Although further model development is necessary to make use of results, the devised solutions for sensing tail and wing position were shown to provide accurate and useful data. The functional capabilities of the package make it an excellent platform for further examination of the in-flight dynamics experienced by the ornithopter and for future efforts to implement control.