Miniature Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Research Articles

Adaptive path following control for miniature unmanned aerial vehicle confined to three-dimensional Dubins path: From take-off to landing

This study proposes a method for resolving the challenge of controlling miniature fixed-wing unmanned aerial vehicles (MAVs) along a predetermined three-dimensional (3D) Dubins path while using models with uncertainty and when experiencing external wind disturbances. We provide a multilayered structure that incorporates both guiding and control at the same time. In the guidance layer, a modified vector-field-based approach is presented to enable the MAV to follow a 3D Dubins path, including the takeoff, cruise, and landing processes with three different types of route segments. Then, an adaptive sliding model controller is used for the analysis and management of both wind disturbances and system uncertainties. Finally, both simulated scenarios and in-flight trials demonstrate the applicability of the methodology and the efficiency of the proposed approach.

The classification and application of miniature unmanned aerial vehicle

Miniature unmanned aerial vehicle (MAV) is more and more widely used in daily life. The small size of MAVs brings them many advantages like high portability and manoeuvrability. MAVs are playing important roles in many aspects because of their own catachrestic and advantages. There are many kinds of MAVs such as single-rotor MAV, multi-rotor MAV, fixed-wing MAV and bionic MAV. Each of them has its own advantages and drawbacks. The applications of them are decided by these characteristics. In order to better design MAV, in this paper, the advantages and disadvantages of the MAVs are analysed. The four most common kinds of MAVs are discussed in this paper. They have differences in structure and characteristics. The differences between these aspects are displayed in this paper. The suitable application scenario for each kind of MAV is provided based on its own peformance characteristics. This paper may offer a reference for MAV design.

Учет влияния числа Рейнольдса и отклонения флаперона при оптимизации профиля крыла беспилотного летательного аппарата

The paper considers the solutions to the multicriteria problem of optimizing the wing airfoil of a miniature unmanned aerial vehicle (MUAV) under various constraints. The study introduces the statement of the problem of multicriteria optimization of the airfoil shape, following the condition of MUAV horizontal flight, with an additional condition associated with a change in the flight Reynolds number of the MUAV wing. This statement of the problem allows us to optimize the airfoil, taking into account the load on the wing of the designed vehicle. The wing airfoil was optimized in a wide range of lift coefficients of Cya and Reynolds numbers. The study shows that taking into account the Reynolds number makes it possible to improve the quality of the result obtained during optimization, and introduces a technique for multicriteria optimization of the wing airfoil with sealed mechanization, i.e. with flaperon. Findings of research show that for equal values of the relative thickness, the mechanized airfoil obtained as a result of optimization has a lower center line camber (by 1.5%) than the optimized airfoil without mechanization, due to which a gain in the drag coefficient is achieved at close to zero values of the lift coefficient. The study shows how profitable the use of a wing airfoil with a flaperon on MUAV wings can be, in contrast to an airfoil without mechanization.

Integration and Investigation of Selected On-Board Devices for Development of the Newly Designed Miniature UAV.

The article is a development of the topic generally presented in the conference proceedings issued after the 2019 IEEE International Workshop on Metrology for Aerospace. In contrast to topics presented in the conference, the article describes in detail avionic equipment and on-board systems integration process and their in-flight adjustment in regard to the newly designed miniature unmanned aerial vehicle (mini-UAV). The mini-airplane was constructed and assembled in the course of the research project, the purpose of which was to show implementation of a totally new mini-UAV design. The intention of the work was to develop a new unmanned system including an originally constructed small airplane with elements purchased from open market. Such approach should allow to construct a new aerial unmanned system, which technologically would not be very advanced but should be easy to use and relatively inexpensive. The demonstrator mini-airplane has equipment typical for such an object, i.e., electric propulsion, autopilot system, camera head and parachute device for recovery. The key efforts in the project were taken to elaborate an original but easy to use system, to integrate subsystem elements and test them so to prove their functionality and reliability.

Coordinated flight control of miniature fixed-wing UAV swarms: methods and experiments

In this paper, we present our recent advances in both theoretical methods and field experiments for the coordinated control of miniature fixed-wing unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) swarms. We propose a multi-layered group-based architecture, which is modularized, mission-oriented, and can implement large-scale swarms. To accomplish the desired coordinated formation flight, we present a novel distributed coordinated-control scheme comprising a consensus-based circling rendezvous, a coordinated path-following control for the leader UAVs, and a leader-follower coordinated control for the follower UAVs. The current framework embeds a formation pattern reconfiguration technique. Moreover, we discuss two security solutions (inter-UAV collision avoidance and obstacle avoidance) in the swarm flight problem. The effectiveness of the proposed coordinated control methods was demonstrated in field experiments by deploying up to 21 fixed-wing UAVs.

Steady flight of miniature fixed-wing unmanned aerial vehicle flocking by using biological algorithm

Steady flight of miniature fixed-wing unmanned aerial vehicle flocking by using biological algorithm

Steady flight of miniature fixed-wing unmanned aerial vehicle flocking by using biological algorithm

This paper focuses on solving cohesive flocking problem from the biological point of view. Twelve variables are adopted to draw the kinematic characteristics of the fixed-wing UAV. A weighted and undirected graph is applied to describe the time-variant and distance-related interaction relationship among the UAVs. Based on the proposed model and the communication mechanism, a distributed cooperation approach is designed to force groups of miniature fixed-wing UAVs to be capable of collaboratively accomplishing such predefined task like a flock of birds. During the evolutionary process, three constraint conditions should be considered. The first one is that each UAV flies under small roll angle and small pitch angle. Second, one forward speed is necessary for the flight of each fixed-wing UAV. The last constraint condition is that the shorter the adjustment time, the better within the error margin of steady-state value. Three constraint conditions are skilfully taken as evaluation criteria to determine the communication network's coupling strength. Numerical simulations are provided to validate the feasibility of the proposed approach.

High-resolution miniature UAV SAR imaging based on GPU Architecture

High-resolution miniature unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) synthetic aperture radar (SAR) imaging requires not only effective and high-precision imaging algorithms, but also an efficient processing platform with real-time capability. In this paper, a graphics processing unit (GPU) based parallel scheme is presented to solve those problems. The polar format algorithm (PFA) is accelerated by utilizing the principle of chirp scaling (PCS) to avoid the two-dimensional (2-D) interpolation. Moreover, an efficient 2-D autofocus processing scheme is applied to compensate for the serious motion error caused by air turbulence. The specific realization on GPU and the main optimization method are investigated. The GPU based scheme is now able to process 4096×8192 complex image in a single precision within 4.23 seconds. The experimental results validates the effectiveness and efficiency of the scheme.

UAV-based spatiotemporal thermal patterns of permafrost slopes along the Qinghai–Tibet Engineering Corridor

Thermal infrared remote sensing technology based on unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) was applied to estimate the spatial distribution of ground surface temperatures on permafrost slopes and evaluate the thermal influence of nearby engineering infrastructure. This paper presents a method that uses a miniature UAV with a thermal infrared sensor to collect thermal images with high temporal–spatial resolution. Moreover, spatial analysis is used to effectively evaluate the relationship between engineering infrastructure and permafrost slopes in the Qinghai–Tibet Engineering Corridor (QTEC), China. To test the method, aerial measurements were collected from 11:00 to 17:00 in July and August of 2017 at two permafrost slopes along the QTEC, where the Qinghai–Tibet Highway (QTH), Qinghai–Tibet Railway (QTR), and electric towers were built on permafrost slopes. The differences of ground surface temperature between the highway and the surrounding soil were largest at 11:00 and 17:00; the differences were smaller at noon to approximately 15:00 when the difference was minimal, and the differences began to increase after 15:00. The distances of the thermal influence of the highway, railway, and electric towers on the surrounding permafrost slopes are approximately 12–14, 8–10, and 2–4 m, respectively. The results indicate that the degree of influence of engineering structures on permafrost slopes is as follows: QTH > QTR > electric towers. This study is the first to use UAV-based thermal infrared remote sensing to evaluate the thermal dynamics of permafrost slopes along the QTEC. These results may provide new insights into the future design, construction, and maintenance of engineering structures on permafrost slopes.

Lateral directional parameter estimation of a miniature unmanned aerial vehicle using maximum likelihood and Neural Gauss Newton methods

ABSTRACTThe current research paper describes the lateral-directional parameter estimation from flight data of a miniature Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) using Maximum Likelihood (ML), and Neural-Gauss-Newton (NGN) methods. An unmanned configuration with a cropped delta planform and thin rectangular cross-section has been designed, fabricated and instrumented. Exhaustive full-scale wind-tunnel tests were performed on the UAV to extract the form of aerodynamic model that has to be postulated a priori for parameter estimation. Rigorous flight tests have been performed to acquire the flight data for several prescribed manoeuvres. Four sets of compatible flight data have been used to carry out parameter estimation using classical ML and neural-network-based NGN methods. It is observed that the estimated parameters are consistent and the lower values of the Cramer-Rao bound for the corresponding estimates have shown significant confidence in the obtained parameters. Furthermore, to validate the aerodynamic model used and to enhance the confidence in the estimated parameters, a proof of match exercise has been carried out.

UAV and obstacle sensing techniques – a perspective

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to provide an overview of unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) developments, types, the major functional components of UAV, challenges, and trends of UAVs, and among the various challenges, the authors are concentrating more on obstacle sensing methods. This also highlights the scope of on-board vision-based obstacle sensing for miniature UAVs.Design/methodology/approachThe paper initially discusses the basic functional elements of UAV, then considers the different challenges faced by UAV designers. The authors have narrowed down the study on obstacle detection and sensing methods for autonomous operation.FindingsAmong the various existing obstacle sensing techniques, on-board vision-based obstacle detection has better scope in the future requirements of miniature UAVs to make it completely autonomous.Originality/valueThe paper gives original review points by doing a thorough literature survey on various obstacle sensing techniques used for UAVs.

Optimisation-based motion planning with obstacles and priorities

The goal of this work is to explore ways of generating state trajectories for dynamical systems subject to computational constraints, obstacles and priority assignment. The algorithms are developed for a miniature unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) in a modular fashion and include (1) a genetic algorithm (GA) for solving the travelling salesman problem (TSP) with respect to priorities and obstacle avoidance, (2) a projective algorithm (PA) for finding the shortest paths around obstacles, (3) a quadratic program (QP) for minimum-snap polynomial trajectory generation subject to equality constraints to guarantee avoidance of static obstacles. Combined, the algorithms enable simple and computationally efficient motion planning with support in both R2 and R3 exemplified in a real-time implementation.

Nonlinear robust adaptive sliding mode control design for miniature unmanned multirotor aerial vehicle

This paper addresses the stability and tracking control problem of miniature unmanned multirotor aerial vehicle (MUMAV) in the presence of bounded uncertainty. The uncertainty may appear from unmodeled dynamics, underactuated property, input disturbance and flying environment. Nonlinear robust adaptive sliding mode control algorithm is designed by using Lyapunov function. Robust adaptation laws are designed to learn and compensate the bounded parametric uncertainty. Lyapunov analysis shows that the proposed algorithms can guarantee asymptotic stability and tracking control property of the linear and angular dynamics of MUMAV system. Compared with other existing control methods, the proposed design is very simple and easy to implement as it does not require multiple design steps, augmented auxiliary signals and exact bound of the uncertainty. Experimental results on a miniature unmanned quadrotor aerial vehicle are presented to illustrate of effectiveness of the proposed design for real-time applications.

TRANSMITTING GPS AS TEXT FORM THROUGH WIRELESS ON DRONE 2.0

AR Drone 2.0 is a miniature unmanned aerial vehicle used in the field of research. AR Drone 2.0 has a camera and IMU sensors, so it can be used to get visual data from air which hardly done by human. Unmanned aerial vehicle requires GPS (Global Positioning System) so that the pilot can control it remotely as well as to support automatic fly without pilot. While GPS data are supported by AR Drone 2.0 it still needs data conversion process due to the difference in data protocol which is used between the Drone and the GPS. This conversion process required processor or controller to process the data. Integration of GPS with AR Drone using controller also allows drone to run for automatic control. In addition, GPS data will also be sent information of latitude and longitude to computer so that the pilot can determine the current position when AR Drone is flying. The GPS system used for this design can be developed further in the future because it is open source. Â

Robust H ∞ control for miniature unmanned aerial vehicles at hover by the finite frequency strategy

This study presents H ∞ control synthesis of a miniature unmanned aerial vehicle to improve its hovering capability in the presence of wind disturbances. By time-scale techniques, the six-degree-freedom flight system can be decoupled into subsystems in different time-scales: one including slow-varying translational dynamics and Euler angles, and another composed of fast-varying angular velocities. To avoid contradictions between subsystems, control specifications for subsystems are classified, respectively, in disjoint frequency ranges. Robust H ∞ controllers, applied directly to the original flight system, are formulated by composing the sub-controllers. To achieve desired handling and flying qualities, wind characteristics are considered, and a novel flexible strategy is then developed to ensure an adequate response in all flight modes under different weather conditions. The effectiveness and merits of the proposed methods are illustrated with a simulation example.

Eksperymentalna weryfikacja algorytmu RDA w systemie SAR pracuj�cym z fal� ci�g��

The article presents a description of the Range-Doppler Algorithm tailored to the specific character of the FMCW sensor as well as a description of the results of the experimental tests. The tested sensor has been developed for a radar terrain imaging system operating from miniature unmanned aerial vehicle. (Experimental verification of the Range-Doppler Algorithm in a continuous wave SAR system). Slowa kluczowe: FMCW SAR, algorytm RDA, BSL.

Parameter Identification and Attitude Control of Ducted Fan UAVs

For UAVs are favored by many countries, the reason is that they are not affected by man-induced factor. While the ducted fan UAV is a new type of UAV, rises in recent years, but it has become very hot in the field of the research and development of miniature unmanned aerial vehicle. This paper is based on the research of a kind of small ducted fan UAVs, and works on the system parameter identification of the UAV and the design of attitude controller.

The Research of Geometric Rectification of Aerial Image for Miniature Unmanned Aerial Vehicle

The unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) aerial technology increasingly been widely used and attention, this paper first describes the cause of geometric distortion of aerial image, and then using Denavit-Hartenberg (D-H) theory on the flight attitude change of the UAV has led to the phenomenon of image distortion analysis, and the establishment of corresponding image geometric correction model. The terrain is relatively flat areas near a school in Guilin as an aerial target area, geometric correction processing the acquired aerial imagery, experimental results show the effectiveness of the method.

UAV Path Planning for Structure Inspection in Windy Environments

In this paper, we consider the structure inspection problem using a miniature unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV). The influence of the wind on the UAV behavior and onboard energy limitations are important parameters that must be taken into account in the structure inspection problem. To tackle these problems, we derive three methods to inspect a structure. First, we develop a Zermelo-Traveling Salesman Problem (TSP) method to compute the optimal route to inspect a simple virtual structure. Second, we derive a method that combines meshing techniques with the Zermelo-TSP method. In this approach, the inspection coordinates for the interest points are obtained automatically by means of a meshing algorithm, then, the Zermelo-TSP method is used to compute the time-optimal route to inspect all the interest points in minimal time. Finally, we derive a method for structure inspection based on the Zermelo-Vehicle Routing Problem (VRP). These methods have been validated in a simulated environment.

Design and Manufacture of a Miniature UAV Using 3D Rapid Prototyping

This paper describes the design and manufacture of a Miniature Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (MUAV) using the StratasysTM 3D Rapid Prototyping (RP) machine. The main motivation for this work is to demonstrate the rapid product development capabilities of the machine. The polymeric material used in this process is Acrylonitrile-Butadiene-Styrene (ABS). Its superior properties allow the MUAV structure to be built accurately to design specifications. The advantage of this approach is the shorter time required for design, fabrication and deployment.