Dynamic Modeling and Control System Design for a Passenger Coaxial Dodecacopter

Abstract

Personal Aerial Vehicles (PAVs) are drones that provide transportation to passengers. The airframe and propulsion systems of a manned dodecacopter, or Personal VTOL Vehicle, were previously developed by Capstone students from Polytechnic University of Puerto Rico. This paper explores the dynamic model and control system based on this design. The modeled airframe is a coaxial dodecacopter with six arms. It has 12motors, one pair in each arm: the upper motor rotating in opposite direction from the lower motor. The plant model and PID controller were developed in Simulink. The results confirms that the Personal VTOL Vehicle has sufficient robustness to be further developed into a real-life model, and therefore, is a viable alternative for urban mobility, capable of transporting a person with minimal flight control experience. Key Terms⎯ Controls Engineering, Drones, Mathematical Modeling, Passenger Vehicle.