Tethered drone control

• Main Author: Loke, Jie Jun
• Other Authors: Tan Soon Yim
• Format: Final Year Project
• Language: English
• Published: Nanyang Technological University 2024
• Subjects: Engineering; Electrical and Electronic Engineering
• Online Access: https://hdl.handle.net/10356/176392
• Institution: Nanyang Technological University

Drones are the result of advancements in technology, especially in the field of robotics. Small, lightweight multirotor drones are popular and in high demand due to their portability, affordability, and ease of control. However, they usually have low flight endurance as they operate with an onboard Lithium Polymer (LiPo) battery. Weight is also one of the limitations of these drones since they have low carrying capacity compared to larger ones. Tethered drones are known for having long-flight endurance since they are supplied with power on the ground. The implementation of the tether system is focused mainly on larger drones since they have a higher carrying capacity which they can handle the weight of the tethered cable much more easily. Today, existing tether systems are much more complex to implement, with higher costs and limitations due to their compatibility with only specific drone models. To enhance the flight endurance and safety of small, lightweight multirotor drones, a cost-effective and user-friendly tether system consisting of power tethered cable and a 3D printed winch mechanism incorporated with control methods will be carefully designed and built. Cable disturbances will be addressed through the smooth deployment of the tethered cable from the drum. This paper documents the design of the tether system and the necessary procedures involved. It will first focus on the first tethered power cable prototype, gradually progressing to its second (final) prototype, which is an improved version of the first. Subsequently, the paper will detail the initial prototype for the cable winch mechanism, followed by its refined second (final) prototype. Results and evaluation of the tether system during flight tests will also be included. Furthermore, we demonstrate the successful tether system for small lightweight multirotor drones and discuss further directions and challenges.