Actualización del sistema de control y propulsión de vehículos aéreos no tripulados (uavs) : selección, instalación, configuración y comprobación del funcionamiento de un firmware dedicado para el control de vuelo de una plataforma aérea.

Abstract

Considering the diverse range of applications of UAVs within the research project PIM-21-01: "Development of a Methodology for Monitoring Volcanic Emissions and Geomorphological Assessment for the Volcano Reventador using Fixed-Wing Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) with Electric Distributed Propulsion (eDP) for Vertical Takeoff and Landing (VTOL)", it became imperative to test an alternative combination of autopilot firmware and ground control station to ensure a reliable system for remote aerial monitoring. Therefore, the principal aim of this project involves the selection, installation, and configuration of an alternative firmware for a quadcopter. Beforehand, an exhaustive examination is carried out concerning the physical attributes of the multicopter-type UAV used in the project, alongside an evaluation of the diverse firmware options compatible with its autopilot, and an analysis of potential ground control stations. Through a comparative analysis, an alternative firmware + ground control station is selected. In order to appropriately compare the previously used option with the selected alternative, a duplicate quadcopter is assembled. It is identical to the one used in the research project with requisite modifications to accommodate the simultaneous operation of two autopilots. A series of manual flight missions are executed, alongside automated flights following predetermined trajectories in similar flight scenarios, aiming to discern and contrast the behavior and performance disparities between the new possible option and the one that was normally used.