Y6 coaxial hexacopter test platform for autonomous systems
A Y6 coaxial hexacopter built as a versatile test platform for evaluating autonomous flight algorithms and embedded systems. The coaxial Y6 configuration provides inherent stability and redundancy while offering ample payload capacity for experimental hardware.
The Y6 layout uses three arms in a Y-shaped configuration, with two motors mounted coaxially on each arm — one pushing and one pulling. This provides the lift of a hexacopter in a more compact footprint, with built-in redundancy in case of motor failure. The generous central payload bay accommodates additional computing hardware, sensors, and experimental payloads.
The platform was used to test and validate several autonomous systems developed in parallel projects, including visual localisation algorithms, the RPV low-latency video system, and various sensor fusion approaches. The spacious layout allowed rapid iteration of hardware configurations without the space constraints of smaller platforms.
The Y6 runs ArduPilot firmware on a Pixhawk-compatible flight controller, with a Raspberry Pi onboard for higher-level processing and communication. This dual-processor setup enables the separation of low-level flight control from experimental payload computation.
