Simplex Control Methods for Robust Convergence of Small Unmanned Aircraft Flight Trajectories in the Constrained Urban Environment
Abstract
In this research, a new hybrid approach is implemented to acquire feasible path solutions for SUAS through highly constrained spaces, investigating narrow corridors, visiting multiple waypoints, and minimizing incursions to keep-out regions. These issues are addressed herein with a new approach by triangulating the search space to define a polygonal search corridor free of constraints while alleviating the dependency of problem specific parameters by translating the problem to barycentric coordinates. Within this Connected Simplex Construct (CSC), trajectories are solved using direct orthogonal collocation methods while leveraging navigation mesh techniques developed for fast geometric path planning solutions. To illustrate two-dimensional ight trajectories, sample results are applied to flight through downtown Chicago at an altitude of 600 feet above ground level. The three-dimensional problem is examined for feasibility by applying the methodology to a small scale problem. Computation and objective times are reported to illustrate the design implications for real-time optimal control systems, with results showing 86 reduction in computation time over traditional methods.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Jul 12, 2018
- Accession Number
- AD1063547
Entities
People
- Michael D. Zollars
Organizations
- Air Force Institute of Technology