Cosmos Editorial
Scientist
Edwin Davis, University of Queensland
PhD title
Aerodynamic Force Interactions and Measurements for Micro Quadrotors
Summary
“Current quadrotor drones lack the ability to measure the speed of the air around them which limits their ability to react to disturbances such as wind gusts. Rotor blade flapping and induced drag is an aerodynamic behaviour which produces a force corresponding to the movement of a rotor through the air. By developing a novel force sensor which can be used on a quadrotor during flight the blade flapping force can be measured directly and from this the airspeed of the drone can be determined. This extends the capabilities of quadrotor drones by improving their reliability and precision in flight.”
The finals of the 2017 Asia-Pacific Three-Minute Thesis (3MT) competition, which challenges PhD students to communicate their research in a snappy three-minute presentation, were held on the 29 September at the University of Queensland, St Lucia Campus. Competitors came from 55 Universities from across Australia, New Zealand and North and South-East Asia.
The presentations were judged by distinguished figures in Australian science including Cosmos editor-in-chief Elizabeth Finkel.
