Ruiz Vincueria, Fernando (UNIVERSIDAD DE SEVILLA), Arrue, B.C. (Escuela Superior de Ingenieros, Universidad de Sevilla), Ollero, Anibal (Universidad de Sevilla)

A Flexible Propelled Arm: Mechanical Considerations for the Use in UAVs

Scheduled for presentation during the Regular Session "Environmental and Safety Issues" (FrA2), Friday, June 24, 2022, 10:00−10:20, Bokar

2022 International Conference on Unmanned Aircraft Systems (ICUAS), June 21-24, 2022, Dubrovnik, Croatia

This information is tentative and subject to change. Compiled on April 18, 2024

Abstract

This paper presents a soft propelled arm, 3D-printed in TPU 70A, designed to be used in flexible UAVs, an advantageous concept since it reduces risk in the event of a collision thanks to a high energy absorption. The proposed design also allows the possibility to adapt to the environment and land on pipelines. The flexibility of the arm can be controlled during the additive manufacturing process by adjusting the infill rate or internal density. In this work, a mechanical design based on simulations with an experimentally adjusted 5-parameter Mooney-Rivlin non-linear model is proposed. Thrust efficiency is also maximized through CFD simulations.