Multirotor UAVs Transporting Cable-Suspended Loads: A Literature Review

Load transportation using unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) presents both intriguing possibilities and significant challenges in research and practical applications. This study aims to present a comprehensive literature review of recent progress in the development of multirotor UAVs transporting cable-suspended loads. A secondary objective is to assist researchers and engineers in the design and development of flight control systems for UAV-slung-load applications. To this end, the survey begins by providing a historical overview of flight control hardware platforms and load swing measurement systems used in UAV-slung-load systems. Subsequently, representative modeling approaches for UAV-slung-load systems are introduced. The survey then reviews a range of existing flight control strategies, highlighting their key characteristics and advantages. Finally, general challenges and potential future research directions for UAV-slung-load systems are discussed.