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PRESENTATION
The Quanser 3 DOF Hover experiment, shown in Figure 1.1, consists of a helicopter model mounted on a fixed
base with two propellers that are driven by DC motors. The front propeller controls the elevation of the helicopter
nose about the pitch axis and the back propeller controls the side to side motions of the helicopter about the yaw
axis.
The Quanser 3 DOF Hover system consists of a frame with four propellers. The frame is mounted on a three
degree of freedom pivot joint that enables the body to rotate about the roll, pitch and yaw axes. Each propeller
generates a lift force and the lift forces are used to control the pitch and roll angles. The total torque generated by
the propeller motors causes the body to move about the yaw axis. One set of propellers in the system are counter-
rotating propellers such that the total torque in the system is balanced when the thrust of the four propellers are
approximately equal. The axes angles are all measured using high-resolution encoders. The encoder and motor
signals are transmitted through a slip ring mechanism, which allows the yaw axis to rotate continuously about 360
degrees.
Figure 1.1: Quanser 3 DOF Hover
In Section 2 the components composing the Quanser 3 DOF Hover are described and the system specifications are
given. Section 3 explains how to setup the system and gives the wiring procedure.
Caution: This equipment is designed to be used for educational and research purposes and is not
intended for use by the general public.
The user is responsible to ensure that the equipment
will be used by technically qualified personnel only.
3 DOF HOVER User Manual
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