Simulation of quadcopter flight dynamics with data collection

Abstract

Nowadays, quadcopter usage is becoming quite common in various spheres. The number of people interested in being a remote pilot is at its highest. For this reason, I have decided to create my quadcopter simulation software to familiarize people with quadcopter flight mechanics. This software was created using the Unity game engine and will feature realistic quadcopter flight physics. Moreover, it will include implementing simple automation, which will help stabilize the quadcopter in the simulated environment. The user can experience the effects of different forces acting on a quadcopter and understand the philosophy of essential in-flight control. This paper will detail the principles and implementation approaches used to bring this simulator to life. Algorithms and code demonstrated in this study can further be used as a foundation for different simulators and future improvements. While the primary goal of this study was to create quality training software, it became apparent that allowing an audience to try it out created an excellent study opportunity. The simulator, having different levels, was distributed among test users. The results of their training experience were collected using separate functions and analyzed for possible patterns. This collected data includes each user’s flight technique performance, time spent on every level, and other parameters.