UAV quadrotor implementation: A case study

Experience gained in modifying and implementing a quadrotor, an Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV), is presented. Their design can be divided into three main parts: Mechanical structure, electronics circuitry, and embedded algorithms. Therefore, quadrotors present an excellent platform where students can learn synergetic design of mechatronic systems. This paper provides a practical experience in modifying an existing Remote Control (RC) quadrotor kit for autonomous operations. Specifically, a second microcontroller was programmed and interfaced with the original circuitry kit in order to bypass the RC commands and accept tasks according to functions embedded in the new controller. The importance of the work was the ability to modify an existing hobbyist quadrotor to accept new operations.