A Laboratory Prototype Tandem Helicopter With Two Degrees of Freedom

Unmanned aircraft have had a great impact on society, their applications in various fields are increasing day by day, so it becomes necessary to propose, develop or validate new designs and concepts that help minimize operating errors or improve the safety of aircraft. One way to understand the operating principle of these unmanned aircraft is through laboratory prototypes or test benches; these prototypes allow experimentation and testing in controlled environments to minimize errors in their operation. This article presents a novel configuration for a laboratory prototype of a tandem-rotor helicopter with two degrees of freedom (DOF), and the dynamic modeling, control, signal filtering, and implementation of the control and filtering system using a microcontroller and a low-cost prototype made with easily accessible materials. This is to promote education, research, and technological development in this area of engineering.