Is this project an undergraduate, graduate, or faculty project?
Undergraduate
Project Type
group
Campus
Daytona Beach
Authors' Class Standing
Haitish Gandhi, Senior Dheer Chhabria
Lead Presenter's Name
Haitish Gandhi
Lead Presenter's College
DB College of Engineering
Faculty Mentor Name
Dr. Cagri Kilic
Abstract
The HyDroQuad is a hybrid robotic system designed to navigate environments where traditional robots face limitations. By combining a quadrupedal walking mechanism with an aerial drone, the platform is able to walk efficiently on stable terrain and transition to flight when encountering obstacles such as rocks, gaps, or steep slopes. This adaptability makes it a strong candidate for future planetary exploration, where terrain is often uneven and unpredictable. This work focuses on developing and evaluating a functional prototype of the system. A fully integrated platform, HDQ-MK1, was designed and constructed by combining a lightweight multirotor drone with a compact quadruped robot. In parallel, a detailed CAD model and aerodynamic analyses were used to study system integration, weight distribution, and the effects of rotor interactions in a closely spaced configuration. Results demonstrate that the system achieves a high thrust-to-weight ratio, enabling stable hover at relatively low throttle while maintaining significant performance margin. Despite aerodynamic interactions between the rotors, the prototype produced sufficient lift for controlled flight. Experimental testing validated these findings, with the system successfully achieving lift-off, stable hover, and approximately six minutes of flight time, closely aligning with predicted performance. Ongoing work will focus on refining the design and enabling seamless transitions between walking and flying modes. The HyDroQuad represents a practical step toward adaptable, multi-modal robotic systems capable of operating in challenging and dynamic environments.
Did this research project receive funding support (Spark, SURF, Research Abroad, Student Internal Grants, Collaborative, Climbing, or Ignite Grants) from the Office of Undergraduate Research?
No
Included in
HyDroQuad - A Drone Quadruped Hybrid
The HyDroQuad is a hybrid robotic system designed to navigate environments where traditional robots face limitations. By combining a quadrupedal walking mechanism with an aerial drone, the platform is able to walk efficiently on stable terrain and transition to flight when encountering obstacles such as rocks, gaps, or steep slopes. This adaptability makes it a strong candidate for future planetary exploration, where terrain is often uneven and unpredictable. This work focuses on developing and evaluating a functional prototype of the system. A fully integrated platform, HDQ-MK1, was designed and constructed by combining a lightweight multirotor drone with a compact quadruped robot. In parallel, a detailed CAD model and aerodynamic analyses were used to study system integration, weight distribution, and the effects of rotor interactions in a closely spaced configuration. Results demonstrate that the system achieves a high thrust-to-weight ratio, enabling stable hover at relatively low throttle while maintaining significant performance margin. Despite aerodynamic interactions between the rotors, the prototype produced sufficient lift for controlled flight. Experimental testing validated these findings, with the system successfully achieving lift-off, stable hover, and approximately six minutes of flight time, closely aligning with predicted performance. Ongoing work will focus on refining the design and enabling seamless transitions between walking and flying modes. The HyDroQuad represents a practical step toward adaptable, multi-modal robotic systems capable of operating in challenging and dynamic environments.