New design of the steering mechanism for a mini coaxial helicopter

Abstract

Whenever the realization of a swash plate mechanism is not feasible (e.g. due to miniaturization limitations), center of gravity steering is an interesting alternative to swash plate steering. We present an approach to describe the dynamic behavior of a coaxial micro helicopter steered by a center of gravity shifting mechanism. The mechanical design of an existing system is improved to increase mechanical robustness and steering quality. In parallel, a simulation model is developed and implemented. It is used to estimate the system response to steering inputs, and to compare center of gravity to swash plate steering. Experimental flight results show an improvement of the helicopter performance due to the mechanical redesign.