Study on the vibration characteristics of wheeled unmanned aerial vehicles

Wheeled unmanned aerial vehicles are prone to complex vibrations during flight due to periodic aerodynamic loads and structural imbalance caused by the high-speed rotation of rotors, which can even lead to resonance phenomena, thereby affecting flight stability and structural life. This study focuses on a wheeled quadcopter UAV, employing finite element analysis to conduct modal analysis and identify its key modal frequencies and vibration mode characteristics. The results indicate that some of the UAV’s natural frequencies overlap with the high-speed excitation frequencies of the motors, posing a risk of resonance in the arms, bottom plate, and support structures. To mitigate this risk, the study optimises the UAV’s design by increasing the diameter of the support tubes and the thickness of the body plates to enhance structural stiffness. Simulation results show that the optimisation measures significantly increase the higher-order modal frequencies, effectively reducing the risk of resonance. The research findings provide theoretical support and engineering references for the vibration-resistant design and structural reliability of wheeled UAVs.