Open Gimbal: A 3 Degrees of Freedom Open Source Sensing and Testing Platform for Nano and Micro UAVs

TL;DR

Open Gimbal is an open-source, 3D printable platform designed for testing nano and micro UAV aerodynamics without actual flight, featuring wireless, batteryless sensors for accurate dynamic measurements.

Contribution

The paper introduces a novel, accessible open-source gimbal platform with wireless, batteryless sensors for UAV testing, enabling easier and more accurate aerodynamic evaluations.

Findings

Validated the communication and sensing performance with nano-quadrotors.

Demonstrated reliable wireless power transfer and data acquisition.

Showed the platform's effectiveness in real-world UAV testing scenarios.

Abstract

Testing the aerodynamics of micro- and nano-UAVs without actually flying is highly challenging. To address this issue, we introduce Open Gimbal, a specially designed 3 Degrees of Freedom platform that caters to the unique requirements of micro- and nano-UAVs. This platform allows for unrestricted and free rotational motion, enabling comprehensive experimentation and evaluation of these UAVs. Our approach focuses on simplicity and accessibility. We developed an open-source, 3D printable electro-mechanical design that has minimal size and low complexity. This design facilitates easy replication and customization, making it widely accessible to researchers and developers. Addressing the challenges of sensing flight dynamics at a small scale, we have devised an integrated wireless batteryless sensor subsystem. Our innovative solution eliminates the need for complex wiring and instead uses wireless power transfer for sensor data reception. To validate the effectiveness of open gimbal, we thoroughly evaluate and test its communication link and sensing performance using a typical nano-quadrotor. Through comprehensive testing, we verify the reliability and accuracy of open gimbal in real-world scenarios. These advancements provide valuable tools and insights for researchers and developers working with mUAVs and nUAVs, contributing to the progress of this rapidly evolving field.