The Hexapodopter: A Hybrid Flying Hexapod—Holonomic Flying Analysis

Abstract

This document introduces the holonomic flying capabilities of the Hexapodopter, a six-legged walking machine capable of vertical take-off and landing. For ground locomotion, each limb has two degrees-of-freedom (2DoF); while the thrust required for flying is provided by six motors mounted close to every knee, so the thrust vector can be reoriented depending on the configuration of each limb. The capacity of reorienting the thrust forces makes the Hexapodopter a true holonomic vehicle, capable of individually controlling its six degrees-of-freedom (6DoF) on the air without reorienting any of the thrust motors nor the body. The main design criteria and validation will be discussed on this paper, as well as a control law for the vehicle.