Multibody simulations of distributed flight arrays for Industry 4.0 applications

Yip, Lewis; Nemati, Hamidreza; Mercorelli, Paolo; Zhu, Quanmin

Abstract

Distributed Flight Arrays (DFAs) are an experimental type of aerial, multi-rotor, vehicle capable of land-based navigation and cooperative aerial flight involving physically docking with N-number of other agents forming a larger structure with some designs allowing for unassisted solo flight. DFAs would be able to be configured into the most resource efficient structures for achieving a specific logistics operation and be capable of manoeuvring around the warehouse environment in a relatively unrestricted manner. For the application of material handling a reliable, predictable, and safe mode of transporting a payload is required. Gathering large amounts of data across a large variety of payload systems and DFA formations is an extremely large undertaking when done through real world experimentation. This large scope is much more suitable for a computer-based physics simulation as they allow for rapid iteration and data gathering without the high resource investment of real-world experimentation. This research finds that the multibody simulation software Simscape is capable of complex control system simulation research for handling the flight and navigation of a DFA and that DFA slung payload systems are highly likely to be compatible with future material handling operations due to developments in automation in Industry 4.0.

• Online Publication Date: Jan 12, 2024
• Publication Date: Jan 12, 2024
• Deposit Date: Feb 24, 2024
• Publisher: Elsevier
• Pages: 247 - 278
• Book Title: Modeling, Identification, and Control for Cyber- Physical Systems Towards Industry 4.0
• Chapter Number: 11
• ISBN: 9780323952071
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/C2021-0-02869-8
• Public URL: https://uwe-repository.worktribe.com/output/11745954