UAVs are becoming versatile and valuable platforms for various applications. However, the main limitation is their flying time. We present BEAVIS, a novel aerial robotic platform striking an unparalleled trade-off between the manoeuvrability of drones and the long lasting capacity of blimps. BEAVIS scores highly in applications where drones enjoy unconstrained mobility yet suffer from limited lifetime. A nonlinear flight controller exploiting novel, unexplored, aerodynamic phenomena to regulate the ambient pressure and enable all translational and yaw degrees of freedom is proposed without direct actuation in the vertical direction. BEAVIS has built-in rotor fault detection and tolerance. We explain the design and the necessary background in detail. We verify the dynamics of BEAVIS and demonstrate its distinct advantages, such as agility, over existing platforms including the degrees of freedom akin to a drone with 11.36x increased lifetime. We exemplify the potential of BEAVIS to become an invaluable platform for many applications.

翻译：无人机正成为各类应用中多功能且极具价值的平台，然而其主要局限在于飞行时长。我们提出BEAVIS这一新型空中机器人平台，它在无人机的机动性与飞艇的持久续航能力之间实现了前所未有的平衡。在那些无人机享有不受约束的机动性却受限于续航时间的应用中，BEAVIS表现卓越。我们提出一种非线性飞行控制器，该控制器利用尚未探索的气动现象来调节环境压力，并在无垂直方向直接驱动的情况下实现所有平移和偏航自由度。BEAVIS具备内置的转子故障检测与容错能力。我们详细阐述了其设计原理及必要的背景知识，验证了BEAVIS的动力学特性，并展示了其相较于现有平台的显著优势（如敏捷性），包括与无人机类似的自由度，同时续航时间提升11.36倍。我们实例说明了BEAVIS成为众多应用中宝贵平台的潜力。