How does a quadcopter fly?

A quadcopter as the word denotes consists of four rotating motors with a propeller to produce lift. These four motors vary according to the user's input to manipulate the movement of the quadcopter.

For any object to fly it needs 6 DoF (i.e. Degree of Freedom) consisting of three translational degrees of freedom (vertical, lateral, and longitudinal) and three rotational degrees of freedom (pitch, roll, and yaw).

6 Degrees of Freedom

6 Degrees of Freedom

The quadcopter gains the ability to lift or descend itself due to the motor rotation wherein motor A and motor C rotates in the clockwise direction, motor B and motor D rotates in the anti-clockwise direction.

Motor Rotation in a Quadcopter

Now we will analyse how a quadcopter is maneuvered with respect to the RC transmitter. There are 4 important forces which govern the maneuvering of a quadcopter:

• THROTTLE,

• PITCH,

• ROLL, and

• YAW

THROTTLE

• Most of the quadcopter Motor rotation sequence of the quadcopter is motor A and motor C rotates in the clockwise direction and motor B and motor D will rotate in the anticlockwise direction. In the above mention cases, the clockwise and anticlockwise motion produce equal lift.

Source: Drone Riot

PITCH

• Pitch up movement that means quadcopter moves in forward direction. For pitch up movement, motor D and motor C will produce high lift force and motor A and motor B will produce low lift force. This will create speed variations in the motors. So that motor A and B tilt downwards and motor C and D tilts upwards then the quadcopter will move in forward direction. Similarly, pitch down movement makes the quadcopter move in a backward direction.

Source: Drone Riot

ROLL

• Actuating right makes the quadcopter move in the right side direction. For that motor A and motor, D will produce high lift force and motor B and motor C produce low lift force. Due to this motor A and motor D tilts right side and motor C and motor B tilts upwards then the quadcopter will move in right side directions. Similarly, actuating left makes the quadcopter to move left side.

Source: Drone Riot

YAW

• Actuating the Yaw stick right makes the whole quadcopter rotate towards the clockwise direction. For that motor A and motor C will produce a high lift force and motor B and motor D will produce a low lift force. Due to this, the quadcopter will rotate in the clockwise direction. Similarly, actuating the yaw stick to the left makes the whole quadcopter rotate towards the anti-clockwise direction.

Source: Drone Riot

This is how a quadcopter can be maneuvered.

---