Preliminary Design and Prototype Development of an Air-ground Carrier Platform

In recent years, amphibious or tri-amphibious UAVs have gradually received more attention. They have two or three loading methods, which can overcome the limitations of a single carrier method. Compared to existing amphibious or triphibious drones, this study presents a design for an air-ground carrier platform and has made a physical model. This study innovatively proposes a mechanical structure that uses a single lead screw and connecting rod mechanism to simultaneously drive four arms. Additionally, this study also proposes an integrated solution for the drone landing gear and vehicle chassis. This paper discusses the composition, working principle, sub-system structure, key functional design calculations, and field flight tests of the air-ground carrier platform. The results show that the air-ground carrier platform proposed in this study has a simple and reliable deformation structure. The modular drone and vehicle chassis reduces the later maintenance costs. This paper has important practical significance for the research and development of multi-mode drones.