An Avionics System for Light-Weight Multi-Rotor Unmanned Aerial Vehicles

Abstract

Small and light unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) are increasingly used because of a wide variety of advantages they provide. These vehicles, which are especially preferred in applications such as 3D mapping, atmospheric measurements, and intelligent transportation systems, are at the heart of many researches due to their easy accessibility and ease of use. Moreover, the importance of these vehicles becomes even more evident in situations and locations where human intervention is not possible. However, their ability to perform these tasks in an ideal way reveals the necessity of a good avionics system. In particular, when it comes to autonomous flight, this becomes even more important. A properly designed avionics system is the first step for a UAV in flight to successfully accomplish its mission. In other words, the performance of the UAV is directly related to the functionality of the avionics. In this study, an avionics system is designed for a small and light-weight UAV, through careful consideration of the systems and components needed for autonomous flight, navigation, and communication. Within the scope of application areas, the system requirements for the UAV have been determined, and a design has been made in accordance with its capacity.