Multibody simulations of distributed flight arrays for Industry 4.0 applications

Distributed Flight Arrays (DFAs) are an experimental type of aerial, multi-rotor, vehicle capable of land-based navigation and cooperative aerial flight involving physically docking with N-number of other agents forming a larger structure with some designs allowing for unassisted solo flight. DFAs would be able to be configured into the most resource efficient structures for achieving a specific logistics operation and be capable of manoeuvring around the warehouse environment in a relatively unrestricted manner. For the application of material handling a reliable, predictable, and safe mode of transporting a payload is required. Gathering large amounts of data across a large variety of payload systems and DFA formations is an extremely large undertaking when done through real world experimentation. This large scope is much more suitable for a computer-based physics simulation as they allow for rapid iteration and data gathering without the high resource investment of real-world experimentation. This research finds that the multibody simulation software Simscape is capable of complex control system simulation research for handling the flight and navigation of a DFA and that DFA slung payload systems are highly likely to be compatible with future material handling operations due to developments in automation in Industry 4.0.