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International Journal of Advanced Engineering Application

ISSN: 3048-6807

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Experimental investigation of a low-cost drone testing setup for the performance evaluation

Author(s):Aarav Sakseria1, Hitendra Vaishnav2

Affiliation: 1Jayshree Periwal International School

Page No: 42-53

Volume issue & Publishing Year: Volume 2 Issue 12 , Dec-2025

Journal: International Journal of Advanced Engineering Application (IJAEA)

ISSN NO: 3048-6807

DOI: https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.17949995

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Abstract:
As the use of drones in agriculture, logistics, and surveillance industries continues to grow, there is an increasing demand for more affordable and dependable testing of drones, especially for smaller companies, schools, and hobbyists. Existing commercial alternatives are expensive, and most low-cost options either lack sturdiness or measurement accuracy. This research attempts to fill this void by creating a compact and inexpensive drone testing system that evaluates flight stability and assists in PID controller tuning. CAD tools were used to model the system, and its structure was optimized using ANSYS simulations to determine the most suit- able materials such as PLA, ABS, and PC based on simulated load and stress, deformation, and strain. For 3D printing, PLA was selected as it was cost-effective and had a favorable deformation range under stress (0.2 mm). The final prototype included universal couplings and load cells connected by steel wires to measure multidirectional forces. Testing confirmed accurate readings along roll, pitch, and yaw axes using real-time data from flights and simulations. While measurement accuracy and structural integrity were preserved, this setup achieved a 95% cost reduction compared to commercial testing platforms.

Keywords: drone testing setup, 3D printing, ANSYS simulation, force calculation.

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