# Design and Control of an Ultra-Low-Cost Logistic Delivery Fixed-Wing UAV
###### Abstract  
In contemporary logistics, the deployment of fixed-wing unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) as a transportation platform is experiencing rapid advancements, garnering substantial application within numerous logistic operations with pronounced efficacies. There are notable impediments to the utilization of commercial logistic-oriented fixed-wing UAVs, including elevated procurement and maintenance costs, extensive maintenance intervals, and unsuitability for small-volume, low-altitude transport tasks. These factors collectively exacerbate the risk associated with enterprise procurement and elevate the cost-benefit ratio. This study introduces the design and fabrication of a cost-efficient UAV for logistic delivery purposes, constructed primarily from cost-effective wood materials. This UAV is engineered to ferry payloads of up to 1000 g across a predefined aerial route at an altitude of 40 m. Upon reaching the designated location, the UAV is programmed to initiate the identification of the drop zone, thereafter descending to facilitate the release of the cargo. To mitigate the impact force during the landing phase, the payload was encapsulated within a sponge-damping layer, thereby preserving the integrity of the transported items. The empirical findings from outdoor delivery trials underscore the UAV's ability to precisely execute payload drops at the targeted locations, confirming its potential to fulfill the logistical requirements for the transportation and delivery of small-volume items in a cost-effective, low-altitude framework. This investigation contributes to the burgeoning discourse on leveraging ultra-low-cost UAVs in logistics, offering a feasible solution to the challenges of cost and efficiency in UAV-operated delivery systems. ummanned aerial vehicle delivery; last-mile delivery; ultra-low-cost unmanned aerial vehicle; fixed-wing delivery UAV; design; modeling; image recognition; flight control 2020 IEEEexample: accepted. 1 2020 IEEEexample: accepted. 12 2020 IEEEexample: accepted. 14 2020 IEEEexample: accepted. In recent years, the logistics industry has rapidly developed, with drones playing a significant role in delivery applications [7]. These include deliveries made by multi-rotor and fixed-wing drones [8]. In the field of express delivery, fixed-wing drones are often preferred to multi-rotor drones because of their longer flight times, greater payload capacities, and faster speeds, which are less impacted by adverse weather conditions. This study finds that fixed-wing drones are commonly used for large-scale transportation and delivery [9]. Thus, these drones are larger, more complex in structure, and more expensive. Each logistic transport or item delivery represents a significant undertaking, requiring substantial costs [10]. Conversely, large fixed-wing drones are unsuitable for small-scale, low-quantity items, such as medical-relief drugs, financial cards, important documents, keys, and security tokens, considering the cost and efficiency of the transport [11]. For the transport and delivery of such small-scale, low-quantity, lightweight items, this study proposes the use of small, ultra-low-cost fixed-wing drones. Currently used commercial logistic drones exhibit the following disadvantages in small-scale, lightweight-item logistic applications: first, high acquisition and maintenance costs result in a high cost-benefit ratio and poor economic performance; second, because of proprietary technology and issues of responsibility attribution, commercial logistic drones experiencing faults during operation must be returned to the factory for maintenance, potentially delaying transportation and causing economic disputes. In this context, the development of an ultra-low-cost logistic delivery drone can not only reduce the procurement risk and cost-benefit ratio for enterprises but also solve the problems of long maintenance times and transportation delays [12].