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

Weinan Wu; Jie Xu; Chunlin Gong; Naigang Cui

doi:10.1016/j.isatra.2023.09.021

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

ISA Trans. 2023 Dec:143:156-167. doi: 10.1016/j.isatra.2023.09.021. Epub 2023 Sep 26.

Authors

Weinan Wu¹, Jie Xu², Chunlin Gong³, Naigang Cui⁴

Affiliations

¹ Department of Aerospace Engineering, Northwestern Polytechnical University, ShaanXi, 710072, China. Electronic address: wuweinan@nwpu.edu.cn.
² Department of Aerospace Engineering, Northwestern Polytechnical University, ShaanXi, 710072, China.
³ School of Astronautics, Northwestern Polytechnical University, 127 Youyi West Road, Xi'an, ShaanXi, 710072, China.
⁴ School of Astronautics, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin, 150006, China.

PMID: 37793969
DOI: 10.1016/j.isatra.2023.09.021

Abstract

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.

Keywords: Miniature unmanned aerial vehicle; Sliding mode control; Three-dimensional Dubins path; Vector-fields guidance; Wind disturbances.