Design, Mathematical Modeling, and Stability of a Reconfigurable Multirotor Aerial Vehicle

A new design of a reconfigurable multirotor is developed by employing a novel active-passive motor scheme. The scheme is based on quadrotor configuration with four additional motors placed in coaxial setup along a single axis. This unconventional design seeks to improve the general response of the system and increase the payload carrying capacity of the aerial vehicle. This paper presents an extensive mathematical model to establish the stability of the design, along with simulation and various real time tests. Simulation of the mathematical model with a proportional-integral-derivative (PID) controller shows the stability and responsiveness of the system in different configurations. Throttle response is also compared for different configurations. Finally, preliminary experimental test results with a prototype employing the same design are discussed. It is analytically and experimentally a stable system with a general improvement in throttle response.