Project Motivation

Drone deliveries are a last-mile delivery option that utilizes drones to replace traditional last-mile delivery methods. While the drone delivery industry is relatively new today, it is projected that the market size will reach USD 27 billion by 2030. Most drone delivery companies today utilize multi-rotor drones to perform drone deliveries. These multi-rotor drones have a simple mechanical structure and control system with parts that can be easily sourced, making them accessible for many companies.

However, multi-rotor drones are not very efficient in flight. They are inherently unstable and to maintain control and balance in flight, it needs to be constantly making corrections to accelerate or decelerate each rotor, in an energy-consuming process. Additionally, according to actuator disc or momentum theory, a single large rotor is more energy efficient at providing thrust than multiple smaller rotors. A helicopter would hence be more efficient than a multi-rotor drone.

But most importantly, multi-rotor drones do not have the long-range capabilities of fixed-wing aircraft. To fly forward, the multi-rotor drone would tilt forward, and in this position, a component of thrust from the rotors is used to push the drone forward. To maintain altitude in forward flight, the rotor thrust must be increased. On the other hand, a fixed-wing aircraft can maintain forward flight with lower energy consumption. These inefficiencies limit the range of multi-rotor drones, making it difficult to perform deliveries that require travelling large distances.