Design and Implementation of a Prototype Quadcopter UAV for Survey and Rescue

Abstract

This article aims to (1) design and develop a prototype quadrotor unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) and (2) evaluate the performance of the developed UAV for surveillance and life-ring deployment in rescue operations. The research process begins with a study of the operating principles, structure, and components of quadrotor UAVs, which are then applied to the design process. Emphasis is placed on weight control, appropriate material and component selection, and the design of a radio-control flight system integrated with onboard software to enable efficient takeoff and landing, directional control, and autonomous flight along predefined routes. After the prototype was constructed, flight tests were conducted under various conditions, including hovering flight, translational flight, and life-ring deployment tests.

          The results show that the developed quadrotor UAV performs well in open-area flight conditions and is capable of transmitting real-time visual data, as well as altitude and speed information, effectively. The UAV can hover for approximately 10 minutes and perform translational flight for about 6 minutes, with a flight range exceeding 500 meters, meeting the specified design requirements. In addition, the UAV is able to deploy the life ring accurately. These findings demonstrate that the proposed UAV prototype has strong potential for application in future surveillance and rescue missions.