Development of an autonomous lifting drone
Customer name :
Aerospace Technology Center (CTA)
Completion date : 2024-2025
In brief
Design, manufacture and in-flight validation of a load-carrying drone (heavy-lift UAV) featuring an optimized composite structure and an electric tool changer and gripper for load handling. CTA has mobilized its expertise in robotics, advanced materials and artificial intelligence to develop an autonomous system capable of operating in swarms in complex environments, paving the way for new advanced aerial mobility (AAM) and industrial applications.
Project summary
This in-house project has enabled us to consolidate strategic expertise in autonomous mobile robotics and advanced UAV technologies.
The work covered the entire innovation chain, from mechanical design to in-flight validation:
- Structural optimization (Composites and additive manufacturing): integration of carbon fibers and advanced polymeric materials by 3D SLS printing to maximize weight/payload ratio and improve fuel efficiency.
- Robotization and autonomous navigation Development of the ROS 2 (Gazebo / RViz 2) flight control and navigation system for simulating and executing autonomous missions in complex environments, integrating a CubeOrange / PX4 / QGroundControl stack for flight management, telemetry and mission planning.
- Artificial intelligence A new object perception and detection algorithm for autonomous swarm manipulation, supporting the principles of resilient and sustainable air mobility.
Gallery
CTA's role
- Design and manufacture of the drone structure in aerospace composite materials.
- Topological optimization and additive manufacturing of structural elements.
- Development and integration of AI algorithms for detecting and manipulating objects in flight.
- CubePilot / PX4/ QGroundControl autopilot stack integration and configuration
- Simulation and programming of autonomous missions under ROS 2.
- Ground tests and flight validation of lifting capacity.
Results
- Production of a functional prototype in composite materials and engineering polymers.
- In-flight validation of lifting capacity and system stability.
- Demonstration of automatic tool changing and object gripping by an aerial robotic system.
- Development of a digital twin under ROS 2 for swarm simulation and training.
- Setting up a reusable technology platform for future projects in advanced air mobility, smart logistics and collaborative industrial research.