Spinning Quadrotor: Hover Thrust Augmentation with Passive Lifting Surfaces

Abstract:Conventional multirotor aerial vehicles actively suppress yaw rotation during hover, expending power to maintain a fixed heading despite the fact that yaw regulation is not required for force balance or altitude control. This paper challenges that paradigm by proposing a spinning quadrotor architecture that intentionally operates at a sustained yaw rate, converting power traditionally spent on yaw regulation into useful aerodynamic effects. A dynamic model of the spinning quadrotor is developed, analysis for low Re range is conducted to choose an airfoil for lifting surfaces. Preliminary hardware tests show a 22% reduction in thrust required. These findings suggest that intentional yaw rotation, rather than being suppressed, can be exploited as a design mechanism for efficient and robust multirotor flight.

Robotics (cs.RO)

arXiv:2608.23163 [cs.RO]

(or arXiv:2608.23163v1 [cs.RO] for this version)

https://doi.org/10.48550/arXiv.2608.23163 Focus to learn more arXiv-issued DOI via DataCite (pending registration)

https://doi.org/10.1109/ICUAS69441.2026.11598692 Focus to learn more DOI(s) linking to related resources

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