The Design of an Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Based on the ArduPilot

This paper focuses on the design, modeling, implementation and testing of an autonomous unmanned aerial vehicle. The controller is based on an Ardupilot board which is a custom PCB with an embedded processor (ATMega168) combined with circuitry to switch control between the RC control and the autopilot control. It controls navigation (following GPS waypoints) and altitude by controlling the rudder and throttle. It uses flight stabilization system (co-pilot), a sensor pack, Global Positioning System (GPS) and an RF transceiver to monitor and report crucial parameters such as altitude, speed, pitch, roll, and position. An embedded software algorithm has been developed to enable the aerial vehicle accomplish the required autonomy and maintain satisfactory flight operation. The autopilot features an advanced, highly autonomous flight control system with an auto-launch and auto landing algorithms.