Exploring Ground Effect in a Hybrid Aerial-Aquatic Unmanned Vehicle

This paper presents the investigation of the ground effect on hybrid aerial-aquatic vehicles. The ground effect is the formation of an air bag, caused by the thrusters during the landing and taking off of a propeller-based vehicle. Aerial vehicles are influenced by the ground effect, which is a large factor of variation in the turbulence and air flow that can significantly interfere with the movements of the vehicle. Therefore, the inclusion of ground effect dynamics in the vehicle model is relevant for a better comprehension of the transition zone between both environments: air and water. Simulation results show that thrust force is highly influenced by ground effect when a vehicle is coming out of the water, impacting on the controller's performance.