edf/tvc drone [in-progress]

I've been into controls for a year or so and thought this would be a great project to experiment with. I should be able to (literally) get it off the ground for design validation using PX4 — they use it in this video, just running PID. I have a flight controller to use from work on omnicopter.

I'm aiming to implement LQR with an observer from scratch running on a microcontroller, then bring in more advanced approaches in underactuated robotics (I was a listener in Spring 2024).

progress

I've been iterating on mechanical for a long time, more or less whenever I've had a spare moment in the past 6 months. Many many revisions of the nacelle, mostly to work out fitment and assembly around the servo mounting and control vanes.

The issue I'm currently dealing with is an apparent mismatch on the nacelle and vane dimensions — the vane shaft is too long to the point it collides with the servo. It looks wrong, but the measurements I've taken all line up with the CAD, which doesn't look wrong and suggests the servo should fit. I've had other things to do for a few weeks so have just left it in this state for now.