Understanding the hardware and software architecture of a UAV
Aerial robots are composed of different sensors and different shapes. Moreover, the main component of these devices is the autopilot, the central component of a UAV, responsible for initializing and interfacing with onboard sensors. The autopilot, also known as the Flight Control Unit (FCU) is a micro-controller board that processes input to control the UAV’s actuators, such as its brushless motors. UAVs can have different platform configurations, with the quadrotor being the simplest. Quadrotors typically have four motors arranged in either an (x) or (+) pattern. In coaxial configurations, two motors and propellers are mounted on each axis, resulting in eight in total. This setup is similar for hexacopters and octocopters. Regardless of the airframe design, control strategies remain the same, as the autopilot translates control signals directly into motor actions.
Another key component of the UAV hardware is...