Morphing Quadcopters: A Comparison Between Proposed and Prominent Foldable Quadcopters

Abstract

Quadcopters are entering numerous fields of work and require unique functionality for each area that they are deployed. They are also becoming more adaptable to terrain and changes in the environment. For example, a quadcopter that can fold could be used by Search and Rescue teams who need to navigate tight and inaccessible spaces. This paper presents a notable insight into two variants of morphing drones that have been assembled with keeping different morphing modes and mechanisms in mind. The first proposed quadcopter uses servo motors on each propellor arm to achieve a folding motion mid-flight, while the second proposed quadcopter uses a novel method of utilizing micro linear actuators to reduce its size in all directions. Flight data for the proposed quadcopters will be presented, along with comparing total weight, flight time, size reduction, and other parameters with similar morphing quadcopters from the research community.