An Interpolation Approach to Optimal Trajectory Planning for Helicopter Unmanned Aerial Vehicles

Abstract

This thesis explores numerical methods to provide real-time control inputs to achieve an optimal trajectory which minimizes the time required for a Helicopter Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (HUAV) to reorient to a given target. A library of optimal trajectories is populated using a pseudospectral computational algorithm applied to the mathematical model developed by the National University of Singapore and Singapore Department of Defense to simulate flight characteristics for their HeLion small scale HUAV system. The model is a complex system of non-linear differential equations-fifteen state variables and four control variables-used to simulate the aerodynamic forces on the HUAV. Then, using the library of optimal trajectories for known target locations, we apply interpolation methods to provide control inputs in order to intercept an attack heading to a target more quickly than an online, full scale optimization approach. All simulations in this thesis are modeled using the MATLAB program.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Jun 01, 2012
Accession Number
ADA562883

Entities

People

  • Jerrod C. Adams

Organizations

  • Naval Postgraduate School

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Air Platforms
  • Autonomy
  • Weapons Technologies

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Aircraft Equipment
  • Aircrafts
  • Airframes
  • Algorithms
  • Applied Mathematics
  • Computational Science
  • Control Systems
  • Department Of Defense
  • Differential Equations
  • Equations
  • Mathematical Models
  • Models
  • Optimization
  • Two Dimensional
  • Unmanned Aerial Systems
  • Unmanned Aerial Vehicles
  • Vehicles

Readers

  • Aerial Unmanned Vehicle Swarm Micro Periodontal Dentistry.
  • Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD)
  • Robotics and Automation.

Technology Areas

  • Autonomy