3D Printed Multi-hole Probe Used as Angle of Attack Sensor - Daniel Jakober
Knowledge about the current angle of attack (AoA) of a fixed-wing aircraft is crucial to prevent stall. While AoA sensors are heavily established in commercial airplanes, there are only few fixed-wing drones that use some sort of AoA sensor and most of these are used in research. This is caused by additional costs and because the measurements of the inertial measurement unit (IMU) of the flightcontroller are good enough to estimate the AoA and autonomously fly with additional safety margins. But if the plane has to be flown at the border of the physically possible a precise estimation of the AoA is necessary. This could be used for instance to automatically land on a very short landing field. As the currently on the market available systems are either too big, too expensive or mechanically challenging, Daniel Jakober developed and built a 3D printed alternative in a project work in his master's studies.
Daniel Jakober
Fachhochschule Nordwestschweiz
Research Assistant
Daniel Jakober is an accomplished engineer with a bachelor’s degree in systems engineering. He is currently pursuing a master's degree in Mechatronics and Automation while simultaneously working at the Institute for Automation at the Fachhochschule Nordwestschweiz. His main research topic is identification and control of fixed-wing drones.