A zero cost methodology for the measurement of the rolling resistance in UAVs

Abstract Despite the fact that measurements of the rolling friction coefficient are important in several areas, the subject in general is not adequately addressed in high school or college. This situation deprives the student of the knowledge of the experimental resources used to measure the friction coefficient, in addition to compromising the understanding of the phenomenon. In addition, certain pairs of materials of interest to engineering are simply not found in the literature, as in the case of tires used in unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). In an attempt to fill both gaps, the present work presents a methodology for determining the rolling friction coefficient in UAVs. The method used is extremely simple, in terms of its implementation and of the theory used, but it is still interesting from a didactic point of view and due to the fact that its cost is practically zero, using only an inclined plane and measures of the distance covered by the UAV. The results show friction coefficient values depending on the vehicle's weight. The values obtained are discussed and suggestions for the future improvement of the experiment are presented.