Development and control of tilt-wings for a tilt-type Quadrotor

The application of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) is being actively studied as one of ways for collecting of information and supporting of rescue activities etc., under a catastrophic disaster. There are roughly two types of UAVs: one is rotorcraft type UAVs that have ability for vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) and the other is fixed-wing type UAVs that are superior in terms of flying-range and its speed. Usually, they are used properly according to the missions, but in an emergency case, it is desirable for us to complete various missions by only one UAV. To this end, it needs new UAVs which have ability for VTOL, wide flying-range and high cruising-speed. The objective of this study is to develop a Quadrotor that can switch the flight mode by mounting tilted wings. The tilt-wing can generate a thrust in any direction, and has also a function as a fixed-wing during a cruising flight mode. This paper presents the overview of a tilt-wings-mounted Quadrotor, and the design and development of a tilt-wing. In addition, some experiments are conducted to check the influence of the VTOL performance by tilt-wing.