Co-Stand: Swashplateless Micro Aerial Robot Test Stand

Micro aerial robots are mainly employed for tasks in indoor environments where high maneuverability is required, particularly in navigating complex and constrained spaces with numerous closely positioned obstacles. Swashplateless mechanisms can reduce noise, increase operational efficiency, and enhance maneuverability, enabling agile and precise movements in indoor operations. This paper introduces a test stand, called Co-Stand, designed to evaluate the performance of the micro aerial robots equipped with the swashplateless mechanisms using ground-based testing, without requiring actual flight tests. The Co-Stand is constructed to collect data on operational performance to investigate the design criteria of the swashplateless mechanisms. The experiments performed on the Co-Stand are used to evaluate both the swashplateless and standard propeller design performances. The results demonstrate that the swashplateless mechanisms achieve the performance criteria of the standard propellers, showcasing their advantages in indoor environments.