What Is Drone Technology? How do they work?
Table of Contents
In today’s modern world, Drone Technology are used for many reasons, including filming, military surveillance, and recreational activities. Drones fall under an intersection of aerospace, robotics, and mechatronics. They can range from entirely autonomous military-grade drones to your average remote-controlled drones you might see a kid flying in the park. Another name for drones is Unmanned Aerial Vehicles, or UAV.
Usage and Misconceptions
These machines are primarily used in situations where the conditions are too dry, distant, dull, or dangerous for human pilots. However, the term drone can be highly misleading, as there are many different kinds. Today, we will be talking about popular drones available for recreational use.
The Frame
The first and most important part of a commercially available drone is the frame. Frames are typically made from plastic or carbon fiber and can be arranged with different arm variations. The end of each arm houses the motor and propeller, while the center holds the flight controllers, gimbals, and other electronic gear, such as cameras. Most of the weight should be at the center, as this leads to the best flight characteristics. Weight matters, as the heavier the frame, the less lift can be achieved. However, you also don’t want a super lightweight frame that will break upon impact. Carbon fiber is preferred for its strength and minimal weight.
Motors
Next are the motors. There is a separate motor for each blade or arm. Motor decisions are based on required power and what you want the motor to do. If a multi-rotor is being built to carry heavy payloads and maintain the best possible flight times, then a slower-spinning, higher torque motor is ideal. However, you may want an aggressive, fast system with lots of maneuverability and faster-spinning rotor systems.
Propellers
Propellers are the wings of the drone and can be made from plastic or carbon fiber. Carbon fiber is the more durable choice, but it’s also more expensive. The size of the propeller should also match your intended purpose. If you wish to have a more aggressive build, choose smaller propellers. The opposite is true for higher payload, longer flight time builds.
Power Supply
The power of the drone comes from its batteries, which come in a wide variety of weights and capacities. As the capacity of the battery increases, so does its weight. There is a certain point where more capacity is no longer beneficial, and the benefits begin to diminish.
Electronic Speed Controller
The system that controls the drone is the electronic speed controller, which will run the motors you have. Since the motors are constantly spinning at different speeds, they need a speed controller to dictate that speed to them. If the motors all ran at the same speed, you would always be hovering.
Transmitter and Receiver
The Transmitter and Receiver help in communication between the drone and the person controlling it. The transmitter “transmits” the signal and the receiver “receives” it. The receiver is connected to the flight controller; it delivers these inputs and then outputs the responses to the motors. The algorithm and codes built into the flight computer take all of your directions into consideration and apply the necessary power to each propeller to achieve smooth and controlled movement.
Now, the next time you go out to fly your drone, you’ll know exactly how much planning and delicate technology is involved!
How do Drones they work?
Drones have evolved over the years and become perfect flying machines. But why are drones designed the way they are today? Why are they so efficient at moving so swiftly? In this article, we’ll explore the drone’s mechanical design aspects, along with its electronics, controller, sensors, intelligent algorithms, and even satellite technology.
Simplest Drone Design: Single Propeller
Let’s start with the simplest drone design: a single propeller design. One propeller drones provide enough lift force to keep the drone hovering in the air, but there is no way to control this drone. All it can do is go vertical and come down. Another issue is that this drone’s body will keep rotating opposite to the propeller, which is a consequence of Newton’s third law of motion. The motor stator supplies the necessary torque to the rotor part. According to the third law, this means that the rotor should give an equal amount of torque back on the stator. Since the stator is fixed to the drone body, this reaction torque will give the drone an undesirable spin.
Two Propeller Design
So why not use two propellers? This is certainly a possibility, and a company called Zero Zero Robotics has made a serious attempt to develop such a drone. The fewer the number of propellers, the less energy the drone will consume and the longer it can stay in the air. However, manipulating the drone to fly at high speeds and take sharp, quick turns requires a higher degree of control accuracy and stability. The blades of two propeller designs rotate in opposite directions, canceling the motor’s reaction torque and avoiding undesirable body spin.
Three Propeller Design
Three propeller designs are very rarely used. The main issues with these types of drones are the motor’s reaction torque and gyroscopic precision, creating unnecessary complications in the design and algorithms.
Four Propeller Design: Quadcopters
The next variation is the four propeller drones or quadcopters, which usually have an H shape or an X shape. Quadcopters achieve hovering by balancing the weight of the drone with the thrust produced by the propellers. To achieve forward motion, the front propeller speed is slowed down while the rear propellers speed up, causing a pitch motion. The force dynamics involved in quadcopters allow for smooth hovering, forward motion, and roll movement by creating imbalanced lift force in the left and right pairs of propellers.
Yaw Motion and Stability
A quadcopter’s yaw motion is achieved by spinning one diagonal pair opposite to the other pair to cancel the reaction torque completely. If you want to yaw the drone, you can make sure that these reaction torques are not canceled by reducing the speed of one diagonal pair. The reaction torque is proportional to the propeller speed, allowing the drone to achieve yaw motion. Quadcopters are the most stable drones, capable of moving at high speeds and taking sharp turns swiftly, and they are used in almost every industry.
The Brain of the Drone: Flight Controller
The flight controller can be thought of as a tiny intelligent pilot navigating the drone through any difficult situations. It enables the operator to use simple controls like up, forward, yaw, etc., making drone operation as simple as a video game. The flight controller requires input signals from various sensors, including accelerometers, gyroscopes, and magnetometers.
Drone Sensors
Drone sensors are microscale machines with actual moving parts fabricated using MEMS technology. The most important sensors in this group are accelerometers, gyroscopes, and magnetometers, which are placed together in the Inertial Measurement Unit (IMU). The IMU measures acceleration and rotation. A MEMS-based barometer sensor determines the drone’s altitude. The flight controller processes the signals collected by these sensors to make correct decisions.
Noise and Sensor Fusion
Noise can affect a sensor’s accuracy, caused by defects, interference by mechanical vibrations of the drone propellers, and magnetic interference. Modern drones use a technique called sensor fusion to overcome this issue. For example, a GPS sensor along with the IMU can provide basic altitude information, but integrating radar technology makes the measurement super accurate. Sensor fusion involves different sensors working together to produce more accurate measurements.
Control System and Algorithms
The control system includes the control logic, which is the algorithm that reduces errors and makes decisions. One such algorithm is the Kalman filter (KF), which reads past and present data to know the state of the drone and utilizes its logic for GPS navigation, stabilizing the drone after the effect of winds, and more. The KF algorithm in the processor makes smart decisions to control the speeds of the BLDC motors, ensuring the drone faces any challenging environment.
Leading Companies in Consumer Drones
Currently, DJI is one of the leading companies in the consumer drone market. They use advanced flight control algorithms, dual IMUs for more reliability, and vibration dampening systems to reduce errors in sensor output. Sophisticated algorithms are one of their keys to success. Compared to DJI, companies like Parrot, Autel, and Yuneec don’t have as much marketing presence in consumer UAV drones. These drones lack the refinement and fitness you get with DJI’s drones.
Power and Communication
The power required by BLDC motors, electronic circuits, antennas, and sensors is supplied by a lithium-ion battery. The drone receives the control signal from the user using common radio frequency technology, with a communication range of one to two kilometers for a consumer drone.
Returning Home
What if the drone accidentally travels out of communication range? Modern drones use GPS and tower-based internet technology to get the missing drone back. The operator sets the home location when starting the drone with the help of GPS, ensuring the lost drone can safely return to its home location.
The Intricate Design and Mechanics of Drones
Engineers are indeed very intelligent, and by observing this drone, you might think, “Wow, I could build this too.” Have you ever wondered how drones work when you see them? Sometimes they spin in the air, and other times they come to a complete stop. However, their batteries only last 15 to 20 minutes. The science behind drones is fascinating. Let’s dive into the mechanisms of how drones operate and their range.
Drone Design and Propulsion
Many of you may have seen drones taking off and flying around. If you don’t own one, you might have seen them in videos where they produce a distinct sound, primarily from their motors. The controller, located in the center of the drone, manages these motors and is usually connected to a camera.
The motors used in drones are brushless DC motors, known for their high speed, capable of rotating at over 10,000 rounds per minute (rpm). To put this in perspective, a typical ceiling fan rotates at about 450 rpm. The high-speed motors in drones contribute significantly to their lift and maneuverability. These drones, often referred to as quadcopters, have four motors with attached propellers. The propellers are designed to cut through the air efficiently, providing the necessary lift force to keep the drone airborne.
Balancing and Stability
For a drone to hover, all four motors must spin at high speed to generate enough lift. Once the desired height is reached, the motor speeds are slightly reduced to maintain balance in the air. It is crucial for all four motors to spin at precisely the same speed; otherwise, the drone would become unstable and start drifting. The controller in the center of the drone ensures this balance.
Interestingly, the two diagonal pairs of propellers rotate in opposite directions—one pair clockwise and the other pair counterclockwise. This design helps cancel out the opposing forces, keeping the drone stable and balanced. If you want the drone to spin, you simply adjust the speeds of the diagonal propellers, creating an imbalance that results in the desired rotational motion.
Directional Control and Movement
To move the drone forward, the front propellers’ speeds are reduced while the rear propellers’ speeds are increased, causing the drone to tilt forward and move in that direction. This principle applies similarly for backward and lateral movements by adjusting the speeds of the respective propellers.
Rotation and Yaw
To achieve rotational motion or yaw, the speeds of the opposite diagonal propellers are varied, resulting in a net force that causes the drone to spin. This allows for smooth and precise control, enabling the drone to capture stunning aerial footage from different angles.
Battery Life and Power Consumption
The high-speed motors consume significant power, which is why drone batteries typically last only 15 to 20 minutes. These batteries are usually lithium-ion, ranging from 3000 to 4000 mAh. Using heavier batteries would require more lift force, leading to faster battery consumption.
Control Range
The control range of consumer drones, like those used in weddings for video shooting, is usually within one kilometer. Advanced drones used by the military can have a much greater range, up to several kilometers.
Building Your Own Drone
You might be thinking that building a drone at home is feasible since the components, like brushless DC motors and controllers, are available online. However, understanding and assembling these parts into a fully functional drone requires significant knowledge of electronics and engineering.
In summary, the mechanisms behind drones involve complex science and engineering. From the high-speed motors to the sophisticated control systems, every component plays a crucial role in the drone’s functionality. Whether you’re a student or an enthusiast, understanding these principles can give you the confidence to explore the world of drones further. If you have any thoughts or questions about building drones, feel free to share them in the comments. And if you found this information interesting, don’t forget to subscribe to our channel for more insightful videos in the future. home