Desenvolvimento de uma plataforma de simulação de drones baseada em Unity®

Abstract

This paper presents the development of a drone simulation platform using the Unity® engine, integrated with a physical system based on the ESP32 microcontroller. The aim is to provide an accessible and realistic alternative for validating flight control strategies in three-dimensional environments through the Hardware-in-the-Loop (HIL) methodology. The three-dimensional modeling of the drone was carried out in Blender®, prioritizing visual fidelity and structural functionality to facilitate interaction with the simulation components. The platform implements the reading of inertial data using the MPU6050 sensor, applying calibration and filtering processes, including the Kalman filter, to obtain accurate estimates of orientation on the roll, pitch, and yaw axes. Scripts developed in C# enable dynamic control of the model in the virtual environment, with PID controllers applied for real-time stabilization. Flight plans with progressively more complex trajectories were carried out, validated through the analysis of data exported to Matlab®. The results demonstrate that the platform can accurately simulate the dynamics of a quadcopter, integrating coordinated three-dimensional movements and bidirectional communication with the hardware. Despite limitations related to the number of sensors and the lack of automation in command transmission, the system shows significant potential for educational and research applications. Future improvements include the adoption of additional sensors, remote control via ESP-NOW, and refined tuning of the controllers.