Computational Design of a Low-Visibility UAV Using a Human-Aligned Perceptual Metric
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arXiv
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| Main Authors: | , , , , , |
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| Format: | Preprint |
| Published: |
2026
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| _version_ | 1866909035075207168 |
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| author | Wang, Jingxian Yu, Chen Matthews, David Alexander, Emma Kriegman, Sam Rubenstein, Michael |
| author_facet | Wang, Jingxian Yu, Chen Matthews, David Alexander, Emma Kriegman, Sam Rubenstein, Michael |
| contents | We introduce Phantom Twist, a type of single-propeller UAV designed to achieve low visibility through high-speed spinning and the exploitation of motion blur. We develop a two-stage automated design pipeline that optimizes the placement of functional components including batteries, control PCB, motor-propeller assembly, and counterweights. The pipeline minimizes visibility as measured by a human-aligned perceptual metric (LPIPS) while strictly satisfying inertial and aerodynamic constraints required for stable flight. We validate this approach through fabrication and flight testing of multiple prototypes. These tests confirm that our pipeline produces stable, controllable designs and that the optimized UAV exhibits significantly reduced visual perceptibility compared to conventional quadcopters. |
| format | Preprint |
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arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2605_11296 |
| institution | arXiv |
| publishDate | 2026 |
| record_format | arxiv |
| spellingShingle | Computational Design of a Low-Visibility UAV Using a Human-Aligned Perceptual Metric Wang, Jingxian Yu, Chen Matthews, David Alexander, Emma Kriegman, Sam Rubenstein, Michael Robotics Systems and Control We introduce Phantom Twist, a type of single-propeller UAV designed to achieve low visibility through high-speed spinning and the exploitation of motion blur. We develop a two-stage automated design pipeline that optimizes the placement of functional components including batteries, control PCB, motor-propeller assembly, and counterweights. The pipeline minimizes visibility as measured by a human-aligned perceptual metric (LPIPS) while strictly satisfying inertial and aerodynamic constraints required for stable flight. We validate this approach through fabrication and flight testing of multiple prototypes. These tests confirm that our pipeline produces stable, controllable designs and that the optimized UAV exhibits significantly reduced visual perceptibility compared to conventional quadcopters. |
| title | Computational Design of a Low-Visibility UAV Using a Human-Aligned Perceptual Metric |
| topic | Robotics Systems and Control |
| url | https://arxiv.org/abs/2605.11296 |