UAV FLIGHT PERFORMANCE
FLIGHT PERFORMANCE OF AUTONOMOUS QUADROTORS IN VON KARMAN WAKES
While most research has focused on identifying and understanding the use of these large scale structures, natural environments are highly complex, and it is possible that soaring birds may also benefit from some of the smaller structures in the flow. The ability to access the energy available in these structures would further decrease the energetic cost of flight, and small changes in the behavior of soaring birds may be indicative of their relationship with these structures.
QUADCOPTER STABILITY ANALYSIS
The upstream turbulent velocity field of a quadrotor unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) and its rotor performance are investigated in experiments conducted in the outdoor wind tunnel. This research targets details on the dynamic interaction between upstream turbulent flow and UAV’s attitude control performance to support the development of more robust quadrotor controllers when exposed to turbulent and gusty environments. The UAV’s translational degree of-freedom (DOF) is fixed downstream of the turbulent flow to test its rotational DOF (the attitude) controller performance within a turbulent environment.
Related Publications
LATEST NEWS
01.13.2026 – Dr. Laurent and the lab present three papers at AIAA SciTech 2026! PhD student Adhip Gupta presents on multi-camera tracking of flocking birds, PhD student Matthew Qualters presents on supersonic dual-stream jet characterization, and Dr. Laurent presents on scalable energy harvesting for UAVs.
01.16.2025 – Undergraduate student Sona Flask joins the lab! Her SOURCE-funded project aims to understand how textured surfaces which mimic shark skin can reduce drag.
01.01.2026 – PhD student Matthew Qualters joins the lab! His project focuses on flow control in supersonic jets.
11.23.2025 – PhD student Adhip Gupta presents his work on 3D trajectory reconstruction of flocking birds at the APS Division of Fluid Dynamics conference.
10.15.2025 – Undergraduate student Jason Reid joins the lab! His SOURCE-funded project investigates how shark skin-inspired textured surfaces can reduce drag.
08.15.2025 – PhD student William Martin joins the lab! His project focuses on energy extraction from small-scale turbulence for improved UAV flight performance.
05.15.2025 – Undergraduate students Zachary Freyman (SOURCE-funded), Dean Abdel-Aziz (SOURCE-funded), Rudy Adkins (REU-funded), and Ava Lough join the lab for summer research projects!
05.21.2025 – Dr. Laurent participates in the Faculty Success Program through the National Center for Faculty Development & Diversity.
04.26.2025 – Dr. Laurent and PhD student Adhip Gupta present at the 1000 Islands Fluid Dynamics Meeting.
11.25.2024 – PhD student Adhip Gupta presents his work at the APS Division of Fluid Dynamics conference. Read the abstract here
10.18.2024 – In collaboration with Dr. Lui, Dr. Laurent receives funding from SOURCE for undergraduate research for Spring – Fall 2025. Learn more about the project and how to get involved here!
08.05.2024 – Dr. Laurent presents Birds, Planes, & Aerodynamics at the Rosamond Gifford Zoo.
07.16.2024 – Dr. Laurent volunteers for TACNY’s Summer STEM Trekker Program. Read more about it on our “Outreach” page!
06.03.2024 – Undergraduate student Maximilian Lapinski joins the lab for a summer REU-funded project! This project aims to develop an experimental setup for measuring the forces on a flapping wing.
06.03.2024 – Undergraduate student Joshua Varkey joins the lab! His SOURCE-funded project aims to design and analyze flow visualization techniques for a low-speed water tunnel.
02.15.2024 – Dr. Laurent receives funding from SOURCE for undergraduate research for Summer & Fall 2024. Learn more about the project and how to get involved here!
02.07.2024 – Dr. Laurent’s collaborative work with local company OpB Data Insights is published in Experiments in Fluids. Read the article here
01.20.2024 – Dr. Laurent presents Birds of Prey in Flight: Exploring the Aerodynamics of Birds of Prey at the Museum of Science and Technology in Syracuse.
12.11.2023 – Dr. Laurent presents her research at Clarkson University’s Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering Graduate Seminar
08.28.2023 – Undergraduate student Kazi joins the lab! His research project examines drag-reduction in car designs.
09.29.2023 – Dr. Laurent receives funding from SOURCE for undergraduate research. Learn more about the project and how to get involved here!
03.10.2023 – Dr. Laurent presents her research at Syracuse University’s Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering Graduate Seminar
01.17.2023 – Undergraduate students Sophia and Alex join the lab! Their SOURCE funded project examines how fish bodies reduce drag.
08.29.2022 – Undergraduate student Cody joins the lab! His research project examines optimal flapping patterns in manta-inspired robots.
08.22.2022 – Dr. Laurent arrives at Syracuse University to start her role as an Assistant Professor.
03.02.2022 – An interview with Dr. Laurent is published in BBC Wildlife – read the article here
JOIN OUR TEAM!
There are open opportunities for PhD and master students. Highly motivated undergraduate students are encouraged to reach out as well. Please email your CV with a brief introduction to klaurent@syr.edu