Integrated Design and Control of a Robotic Arm on a Quadcopter for Enhanced Package Delivery

TL;DR

This study integrates a robotic arm with a quadcopter for improved package delivery, comparing PID and MRAC controllers through simulations to evaluate stability and accuracy under different payloads.

Contribution

It presents a comprehensive design and control framework for a quadcopter with an integrated robotic arm, including mechanical modeling, system integration, and controller analysis.

Findings

PID controllers achieved better trajectory accuracy and stability.

PID outperformed MRAC in steady flight conditions.

MRAC showed better adaptability to changing payload dynamics.

Abstract

This paper presents a comprehensive design process for the integration of a robotic arm into a quadcopter, emphasizing the physical modeling, system integration, and controller development. Utilizing SolidWorks for mechanical design and MATLAB Simscape for simulation and control, this study addresses the challenges encountered in integrating the robotic arm with the drone, encompassing both mechanical and control aspects. Two types of controllers are developed and analyzed: a Proportional-Integral-Derivative (PID) controller and a Model Reference Adaptive Controller (MRAC). The design and tuning of these controllers are key components of this research, with the focus on their application in package delivery tasks. Extensive simulations demonstrate the performance of each controller, with PID controllers exhibiting superior trajectory tracking and lower Root Mean Square (RMS) errors under various payload conditions. The results underscore the efficacy of PID control for stable flight and precise maneuvering, while highlighting adaptability of MRAC to changing dynamics.