This research proposes a novel reconfigurable and force-balanced aerial manipulator design for fast variable payload tasks. Its force-balancing properties allow for fast end-effector movements while minimizing disturbances introduced to the aerial platform. The manipulator is composed of three pantograph legs connecting the end-effector to the drone base. Each pantograph is equipped with two moving counter-masses that provide the balancing properties to the manipulator. The counter masses are moved by fast linear actuators allowing the manipulator to be force-balanced for different payloads. Extensive testing, performing end-effector trajectory tracking tasks, was performed both on a floating base setup and in flight. The results indicate that the manipulator significantly decreased the reaction forces transmitted to the base. Specifically, it achieved a 45% reduction when comparing the unbalanced and balanced configurations, and a 17% reduction when these configurations included a 53 [g] payload. The drone's position-tracking error during flight also improved, with reductions of 19% and 34% for the same two configurations, respectively.

The Last Hope drone will autonomously find a clear path into the sky from the ground and ascend to an altitude of up to two thousand meters. Within 20 minutes it transmits a call for help with exact location information to rescue operators via the Iridium satellite network...