Editorial

6 pages, 171 KiB

Open AccessEditorial

by Cezary Kownacki

Appl. Sci. 2024, 14(5), 1909; https://doi.org/10.3390/app14051909 - 26 Feb 2024

Viewed by 422

There has been exponential development of UAV technology and related research areas such as artificial intelligence, which will raise UAVs’ ability for autonomous flights to a higher level [...] Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Control and Position Tracking for UAVs)

Research

Jump to: Editorial

26 pages, 5573 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Optimal Control for a Three-Rotor Unmanned Aerial Vehicle in Programmed Flights

by Maciej Salwa and Izabela Krzysztofik

Appl. Sci. 2023, 13(24), 13118; https://doi.org/10.3390/app132413118 - 09 Dec 2023

Viewed by 685

Abstract

In this study, we propose a new approach to selecting PID controller parameters for a UAV tricopter during programmed flights. The approach uses optimization techniques to determine the optimal values of the PID controller parameters based on the desired performance of the UAV. [...] Read more.

In this study, we propose a new approach to selecting PID controller parameters for a UAV tricopter during programmed flights. The approach uses optimization techniques to determine the optimal values of the PID controller parameters based on the desired performance of the UAV. The proposed method is particularly effective for repeated programmed flights in which the UAV follows a defined flight path. The use of a PID control provides a reliable and robust control system that can cope with various disturbances and uncertainties in UAV dynamics. The proposed method provides an alternative to adaptive control, which requires a significant amount of system identification and parameter tuning. The effectiveness of the proposed method has been verified in simulation studies, and the results show its ability to achieve satisfactory performance with low tracking error and fast response time. The result of the work is an improvement in control for a specific object at a specific mission. We present how the recipients can perform this procedure for their object and their mission to be able to improve the control gain in the physical controller. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Control and Position Tracking for UAVs)

► Show Figures

Figure 1

21 pages, 20015 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Development and Evaluation of a Tethered Class C3 Hexacopter in Maritime Conditions on the Helipad of a Ferry

by Cezary Kownacki, Leszek Ambroziak, Maciej Ciężkowski, Adam Wolniakowski, Sławomir Romaniuk, Zbigniew Kulesza, Arkadiusz Bożko and Daniel Ołdziej

Appl. Sci. 2023, 13(16), 9396; https://doi.org/10.3390/app13169396 - 18 Aug 2023

Viewed by 742

Abstract

Various unmanned aerial vechicle (UAV) applications, especially those based on reconnaissance and observation missions, often require an unlimited time of flight. This is possible only when a UAV is continuously supplied with power from a ground-based power source, which is why tethered UAV [...] Read more.

Various unmanned aerial vechicle (UAV) applications, especially those based on reconnaissance and observation missions, often require an unlimited time of flight. This is possible only when a UAV is continuously supplied with power from a ground-based power source, which is why tethered UAV systems were developed. Tethered UAV systems are based on multicopters, which can hover above a landing pad or track its position if it is movable. The presented research concerned the development of a large C3 class hexacopter with a maximal payload of about 1 kg and a takeoff mass of 16 kg, which was tested in maritime conditions during a ferry’s cruise. The main purpose of the hexacopter was to continuously observe the area ahead of the vessel to detect and localize obstacles in the water. During the experimental tests, critical phases of flight were identified, the AC/DC power supply unit and power cord unwinder were tested, and the power required by six brushless direct current (BLDC) motors was registered. The obtained results could be useful in future work on tethered UAV systems applied in windy maritime conditions. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Control and Position Tracking for UAVs)

► Show Figures

Figure 1

24 pages, 4434 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Proactive Mission Planning of Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Fleets Used in Offshore Wind Farm Maintenance

by Zbigniew Banaszak, Grzegorz Radzki, Izabela Nielsen, Rasmus Frederiksen and Grzegorz Bocewicz

Appl. Sci. 2023, 13(14), 8449; https://doi.org/10.3390/app13148449 - 21 Jul 2023

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 965

Abstract

This paper presents a declarative model of maintenance logistics for offshore wind farms. Its implementation in decision-making tools supporting wind turbine maintenance enables online prototyping of alternative scenarios and variants of wind turbine servicing, including weather-related operation vessel movement and routing of unmanned [...] Read more.

This paper presents a declarative model of maintenance logistics for offshore wind farms. Its implementation in decision-making tools supporting wind turbine maintenance enables online prototyping of alternative scenarios and variants of wind turbine servicing, including weather-related operation vessel movement and routing of unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) fleets carrying out maintenance on these wind turbines during monitoring or component-delivery missions. The possibility of implementing the model was verified via two case studies focusing, separately, on the issues of routing and scheduling of a UAV fleet used for the inspection of wind turbines and the distribution of ordered spare parts. The open structure of the model allows for its easy generalization, expanding the range of supported functions, including vessel fleet routing in an offshore wind farm, staff and competence planning of service teams, and supply chain management, enabling the planning of tool sets distributed to serviced wind turbines. Computer experiments conducted for various weather conditions confirm the competitiveness of the proposed approach. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Control and Position Tracking for UAVs)

► Show Figures

Figure 1

21 pages, 2298 KiB

Open AccessFeature PaperArticle

Robust Trajectory Tracking Control for Constrained Small Fixed-Wing Aerial Vehicles with Adaptive Prescribed Performance

by Panagiotis S. Trakas and Charalampos P. Bechlioulis

Appl. Sci. 2023, 13(13), 7718; https://doi.org/10.3390/app13137718 - 29 Jun 2023

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 945

Abstract

A novel approximation-free adaptive prescribed performance control scheme for the longitudinal motion tracking of input and state constrained small fixed-wing UAVs is designed in this work. The proposed controller employs the adaptive prescribed performance technique to impose output performance specifications in accordance with [...] Read more.

A novel approximation-free adaptive prescribed performance control scheme for the longitudinal motion tracking of input and state constrained small fixed-wing UAVs is designed in this work. The proposed controller employs the adaptive prescribed performance technique to impose output performance specifications in accordance with actuation limitations regarding the amplitude and the rate of the control signal. Furthermore, state constraints are introduced to ensure the proper operation of the closed-loop system. The adoption of PPC methodology results in a low complexity control algorithm with easy gain selection which facilitates its practical implementation. Finally, a comprehensive simulation study as well as comparative simulation paradigms on an Aerosonde model clarifies and verifies the superiority and the effectiveness of the proposed controller to control the longitudinal motion of UAVs in the presence of wind gusts. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Control and Position Tracking for UAVs)

► Show Figures

Figure 1

23 pages, 3478 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Joint Radar-Communication Optimization of Distributed Airborne Radar for AOA Localization

by Gangsong Ding, Qinhao Wu, Yutao Hu, Jianfeng Yin and Shengtao Wen

Appl. Sci. 2023, 13(13), 7709; https://doi.org/10.3390/app13137709 - 29 Jun 2023

Viewed by 862

Abstract

Compared to the distributed ground-based radar (DGBR), the distributed airborne radar (DAR) has been widely applied due to its stronger anti-damage ability, more degrees of freedom, and better detection view of targets. However, unlike DGBR, the premise for the normal operation of DAR [...] Read more.

Compared to the distributed ground-based radar (DGBR), the distributed airborne radar (DAR) has been widely applied due to its stronger anti-damage ability, more degrees of freedom, and better detection view of targets. However, unlike DGBR, the premise for the normal operation of DAR is to maintain stable wireless communication between unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). This requires each UAV to make reasonable use of its electromagnetic domain resources. That is, to maximize radar detection performance while ensuring communication performance constraints. However, current research in the field of radar resource allocation has not taken this into account, which greatly limits the practical application of optimization algorithms. Moreover, the current research tends to adopt centralized optimization algorithms. When the baseline of the UAV swarm is long, applying multi-relay methods directly results in heavy communications overhead and long-time delay. Based on the above background, this article aimed to develop a fully distributed algorithm for the joint optimization of radar detection performance and communication transmission performance. This study first took the measurement angle of arrival (AOA) as an example to provide a system model with communication constraints. This model considers the impact of factors such as the UAV location error, UAV communication coverage, and dynamic communication topology of the UAV on joint optimization. A formal representation of the joint optimization is presented. Then, we proposed a joint radar-communication optimization (JRCO) algorithm to fully utilize the electromagnetic domain resources of each UAV. Finally, numerical simulations verified the effectiveness of the proposed JRCO algorithm to traditional radar resource allocation methods. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Control and Position Tracking for UAVs)

► Show Figures

Figure 1

19 pages, 3517 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Quadrotor UAV Dynamic Visual Servoing Based on Differential Flatness Theory

by Ahmed Alshahir, Mohammed Albekairi, Kamel Berriri, Hassen Mekki, Khaled Kaaniche, Shahr Alshahr, Bassam A. Alshammari and Anis Sahbani

Appl. Sci. 2023, 13(12), 7005; https://doi.org/10.3390/app13127005 - 10 Jun 2023

Viewed by 1130

Abstract

In this paper, we propose 2D dynamic visual servoing (Dynamic IBVS), where a quadrotor UAV tries to track a moving target using a single facing-down perspective camera. As an application, we propose the tracking of a car-type vehicle. In this case, data related [...] Read more.

In this paper, we propose 2D dynamic visual servoing (Dynamic IBVS), where a quadrotor UAV tries to track a moving target using a single facing-down perspective camera. As an application, we propose the tracking of a car-type vehicle. In this case, data related to the altitude and the lateral angles have no importance for the visual system. Indeed, to perform the tracking, we only need to know the longitudinal displacements (along the

x

and

y

axes) and the orientation along the

z

-axis. However, those data are necessary for the quadrotor’s guidance problem. Thanks to the concept of differential flatness, we demonstrate that if we manage to extract the displacements according to the three axes and the orientation according to the yaw angle (the vertical axis) of the quadrotor, we can control all the other variables of the system. For this, we consider a camera equipped with a vertical stabilizer that keeps it in a vertical position during its movement (a gimbaled camera). Other specialized sensors measure information regarding altitude and lateral angles. In the case of classic 2D visual servoing, the elaboration of the kinematic torsor of the quadrotor in no way guarantees the physical realization of instructions, given that the quadrotor is an under-actuated system. Indeed, the setpoint has a dimension equal to six, while the quadrotor is controlled only by four inputs. In addition, the dynamics of a quadrotor are generally very fast, which requires a high-frequency control law. Furthermore, the complexity of the image processing stage can cause delays in motion control, which can lead to target loss. A new dynamic 2D visual servoing method (Dynamic IBVS) is proposed. This method makes it possible to generate in real time the necessary movements for the quadrotor in order to carry out the tracking of the target (vehicle) using a single point of this target as visual information. This point can represent the center of gravity of the target or any other part of it. A control by flatness has been proposed, which guarantees the controllability of the system and ensures the asymptotic convergence of the generated trajectory in the image plane. Numerical simulations are presented to show the effectiveness of the proposed control strategy. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Control and Position Tracking for UAVs)

► Show Figures

Figure 1

29 pages, 6122 KiB

Open AccessArticle

LMIs-Based LPV Control of Quadrotor with Time-Varying Payload

by Azmat Saeed, Aamer I. Bhatti and Fahad M. Malik

Appl. Sci. 2023, 13(11), 6553; https://doi.org/10.3390/app13116553 - 28 May 2023

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1252

Abstract

Applications of a quadrotor with payload, particularly for chemical spraying, have increased in recent times. The variation in payload mass over time causes a change in the moments of inertia (MOI). Moreover, large tilt angles are required for fast reference tracking and external [...] Read more.

Applications of a quadrotor with payload, particularly for chemical spraying, have increased in recent times. The variation in payload mass over time causes a change in the moments of inertia (MOI). Moreover, large tilt angles are required for fast reference tracking and external disturbance rejection. These variations in plant parameters (i.e., mass and inertia) and large tilt angles can degrade the control scheme’s performance and stability. This article proposes a linear matrix inequalities (LMIs)-based linear parameter varying (LPV) control scheme for a quadrotor subject to time-varying mass, time-varying inertia, mass flow rate, and large tilt angles. The control strategy is designed by solving LMIs derived from quadratic

H_{\infty}

performance and D-stability. The robust stability and quadratic

H_{\infty}

performance are assessed by LMIs. The efficacy of the proposed methodology is established using numerical simulations, and its performance is compared to the linear time-invariant (LTI)

H_{\infty}

design with pole placement constraints. The results obtained show that the LPV control scheme gives better tracking performance in the presence of time-varying parameters, noise, and external disturbances without actuator saturation. In comparison to the LTI design technique, the proposed LPV scheme improves the rise time (

t_{r}

), settling time (

t_{s}

), and mean squared error (MSE) by up to

14 %

,

15 %

, and

30 %

, respectively. Moreover, smooth transitions are observed in the tilt angles and control signals with the LPV scheme, contrary to the LTI controller, which exhibits significant oscillations. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Control and Position Tracking for UAVs)

► Show Figures

Figure 1

Journal Menu

Journal Browser

Control and Position Tracking for UAVs

Share This Special Issue

Special Issue Editors

Special Issue Information

Keywords

Published Papers (8 papers)

Editorial

Research

Further Information

Guidelines

MDPI Initiatives

Follow MDPI