Tarot T18 Octocopter for Autonomous Water Sampling (MSc Thesis)
Building a heavy-lift UAV platform for autonomous water sampling in maritime research, addressing payload limitations identified in the X500 project.
Duration
September 2024 - Present (MSc Thesis)
Role
Lead Developer
Institution
NTNU IIR Automation Lab
Status
Ongoing
Technologies Used
Overview
This MSc thesis project extends the work from the Holybro X500 water sampling drone to a heavy-lift Tarot T18 octocopter platform. The X500 project successfully demonstrated water sampling on the ground but revealed payload constraints (1kg limit) that prevented flight operations with the full sampling system. The T18 platform provides significantly higher payload capacity to accommodate the complete winch system, water containers, and advanced positioning using Pozyx UWB for GPS-denied environments like indoor labs and fjords.
Problem Statement
Traditional water sampling in Norwegian fjords requires boats and significant logistics. The previous X500 project demonstrated the core sampling functionality but could not achieve flight with the payload. This thesis aims to deliver a fully operational autonomous water sampling drone using the heavy-lift Tarot T18 frame with Pozyx UWB positioning for precise indoor/GPS-denied navigation.
Challenges & Solutions
| Challenge | Solution | Outcome |
|---|---|---|
| Heavy-lift Platform Integration | Migrating validated systems from X500 to T18 frame | In progress - leveraging lessons learned |
| Indoor Positioning | Integrating Pozyx UWB system with Pixhawk | Currently configuring tag-anchor communication |
| Complete Payload Integration | Full winch + pump + container system within T18 capacity | Design phase |