Measuring Wind Using the Internal Stabilisation System of a Quadrotor Drone

Abstract

This thesis proposes a method of measuring wind using the data logged by the autopilot of a quadrotor drone. The approach is fundamentally different from other attempts found in the literature. Theoretical equations from works on quadrotor control are utilised and supplemented to form the theoretical framework. Static thrust tests provide the necessary parameters for calculating wind estimates. Flight tests are conducted at two different test sites with the quadrotor hovering next to a static 2D ultrasonic anemometer with wind speeds between 0 – 5 m/s. Estimated vertical wind speeds do not show the desired correlation. Horizontal wind estimates achieve exceptionally good results with RMSE values between 0.26 – 0.29 m/s for wind speed, and between 4.1 ° – 4.9 ° for wind direction, which is an improvement compared to the literature.