Research on Structural Design and Optimization of Lightweight Unmanned Aerial Vehicles

Abstract

With the rapid advancement of aerospace technology, lightweight unmanned aerial vehicles (takeoff weight ≤7kg) have gained widespread application across multiple fields-including military reconnaissance, agricultural crop protection, geographic surveying, and disaster relief-due to their compact size, high maneuverability, low cost, and ease of operation. Structural design, as a core component of their development, directly determines flight performance, payload capacity, endurance, and operational reliability. This paper explores structural design and optimization for lightweight UAVs. It outlines the research background and significance, reviews domestic and international research status, defines research content and technical approaches, and focuses on key technologies including composite material application, biomimetic structural design, integrated and modular design, and multidisciplinary optimization. The effectiveness of optimization solutions is validated through a combination of theoretical analysis, numerical simulation, and experimental verification. Finally, it proposes optimization directions and development trends to support related research and engineering practice.