Quadcopter Pitched Propeller Yaw Stability
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) face challenges in stability and control, particularly in yaw movement, due to their complex assembly, high cost, and limited flight time, which restricts their versatility and usability beyond enthusiast communities.
Innovation Solution
A quadcopter design featuring rotors with angled thrust vectors that intersect above the fuselage, combined with a two-axis gimbal and electronic image stabilization, allows for improved yaw control and reduced need for external gimbals, enhancing stability and image quality while enabling more flexible gimbal placement.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If traditional vertical thrust vector configuration is used, then the UAV structure is simple, but yaw stability and control precision are insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies asymmetry by configuring thrust vectors at non-vertical angles (e.g., 10-20 degrees from vertical) and arranging them in an asymmetric pattern that does not intersect at a single point on the yaw axis. This asymmetric configuration creates inherent yaw stability without requiring complex additional control mechanisms, directly resolving the contradiction between improved yaw stability and device complexity.
2Reliability
If external gimbals are used for camera stabilization, then image stability is improved, but the overall size and weight of the UAV increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the yaw stabilization function from the traditional external three-axis gimbal system. By implementing yaw stability at the thrust vector level through asymmetric angled configuration, the system removes the need for a yaw-axis motor and housing in the gimbal, retaining only the essential pitch and roll stabilization components. This extraction significantly reduces the gimbal's size and weight while maintaining image stability.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent substitutes mechanical yaw stabilization (through external gimbal hardware) with a aerodynamic/thrust-based yaw control mechanism. The asymmetric angled thrust vectors create natural yaw stability through their geometric configuration rather than relying on mechanical counterbalancing, replacing complex mechanical systems with a more efficient thrust-vectoring approach.
3Measurement precision
If complex control systems are added to improve flight control precision, then flight path accuracy is improved, but the cost and assembly complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements preliminary action by pre-configuring the thrust vectors in an asymmetric angled arrangement that inherently provides yaw stability and control authority. This geometric pre-configuration creates built-in control precision without requiring complex real-time control algorithms or additional sensors, thereby improving flight path accuracy while minimizing control system complexity.
Data Source
AI summary
A quadcopter has a fuselage and four rotors, each defining a thrust vector. An onboard camera system includes a gimbal with a roll axis and a pitch axis. Right side motors are mounted with a dihedral angle so that their respective thrust vectors intersect at a common focal point located above the fuselage. Left side motors are mounted with a dihedral angle so that their respective thrust vectors intersect at a common focal point located above the fuselage. The tilted thrust vectors provide yaw stability which allows flight yaw control to be used as yaw control of the onboard camera.