Modeling and Trajectory Tracking Control for Flapping-Wing Micro Aerial Vehicles

This paper studies the trajectory tracking problem of flapping-wing micro aerial vehicles(FWMAVs)in the longitudinal plane.First of all,the kinematics and dynamics of the FWMAV are established,wherein the aerodynamic force and torque generated by flapping wings and the tail wing are explicitly formulated with respect to the flapping frequency of the wings and the degree of tail wing inclination.To achieve autonomous tracking,an adaptive control scheme is proposed under the hierarchical framework.Specifically,a bounded position controller with hyperbolic tangent functions is designed to produce the desired aerodynamic force,and a pitch command is extracted from the designed position controller.Next,an adaptive attitude controller is designed to track the extracted pitch command,where a radial basis function neural network is introduced to approximate the unknown aerodynamic perturbation torque.Finally,the flapping frequency of the wings and the degree of tail wing inclination are calculated from the designed position and attitude controllers,respectively.In terms of Lyapunov's direct method,it is shown that the tracking errors are bounded and ultimately converge to a small neighborhood around the origin.Simulations are carried out to verify the effectiveness of the proposed control scheme.

Multi-Object Tracking with Micro Aerial Vehicle

A simple yet efficient tracking framework is proposed for real-time multi-object tracking with micro aerial vehicles(MAVs). It's basic missions for MAVs to detect specific targets and then track them automatically. In our method, candidate regions are generated using the salient detection in each frame and then classified by an eural network. A kernelized correlation filter(KCF) is employed to track each target until it disappears or the peak-sidelobe ratio is lower than a threshold. Besides, we define the birth and death of each tracker for the targets. The tracker is recycled if its target disappears and can be assigned to a new target. The algorithm is evaluated on the PAFISS and UAV123 datasets. The results show a good performance on both the tracking accuracy and speed.

Implementation of VxWorks in autopilot for micro aerial vehicle based on PXA255 and FPGA

The overall hardware construction of autopilot within micro aerial vehicle is presented. The boot process of VxWorks real time operating system as well as the conception and function of board support package （BSP） is described. And the transplantation process of the VxWroks operat ing system into the hardware platform mentioned above is highlighted. It is shown from the final re sults that VxWorks has high stability and real time performance, ensuring accurate flight control and a smooth flight of the micro aerial vehicle.

Indoor versus outdoor scene recognition for navigation of a micro aerial vehicle using spatial color gist wavelet descriptors

In the context of improved navigation for micro aerial vehicles,a new scene recognition visual descriptor,called spatial color gist wavelet descriptor(SCGWD),is proposed.SCGWD was developed by combining proposed Ohta color-GIST wavelet descriptors with census transform histogram(CENTRIST)spatial pyramid representation descriptors for categorizing indoor versus outdoor scenes.A binary and multiclass support vector machine(SVM)classifier with linear and non-linear kernels was used to classify indoor versus outdoor scenes and indoor scenes,respectively.In this paper,we have also discussed the feature extraction methodology of several,state-of-the-art visual descriptors,and four proposed visual descriptors(Ohta color-GIST descriptors,Ohta color-GIST wavelet descriptors,enhanced Ohta color histogram descriptors,and SCGWDs),in terms of experimental perspectives.The proposed enhanced Ohta color histogram descriptors,Ohta color-GIST descriptors,Ohta color-GIST wavelet descriptors,SCGWD,and state-of-the-art visual descriptors were evaluated,using the Indian Institute of Technology Madras Scene Classification Image Database two,an Indoor-Outdoor Dataset,and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology indoor scene classification dataset[(MIT)-67].Experimental results showed that the indoor versus outdoor scene recognition algorithm,employing SVM with SCGWDs,produced the highest classification rates(CRs)—95.48%and 99.82%using radial basis function kernel(RBF)kernel and 95.29%and 99.45%using linear kernel for the IITM SCID2 and Indoor-Outdoor datasets,respectively.The lowest CRs—2.08%and 4.92%,respectively—were obtained when RBF and linear kernels were used with the MIT-67 dataset.In addition,higher CRs,precision,recall,and area under the receiver operating characteristic curve values were obtained for the proposed SCGWDs,in comparison with state-of-the-art visual descriptors.

Development of the NWPU20 Micro Air Vehicle

This paper reports the design, construction, and operation of NWPU20 Micro Air Vehicle (MAV), which is the smallest that has, up to now, been developed in PR China. The miniaturization level in PR China makes smaller MAV, in our opinion, not possible to implement. The NWPU20 is a 20-centimeter span, battery powered, fixed-wing aircraft with an off-the-shelf color video camera that can transmit live video back to the ground station. The on-board electronic subsystems are smallest and lightest among the commercial products, including an 8-gram wireless video camera, an 8-gram receiver, a 5-gram electronic speed controller (ESC), two 4.5-gram fully proportional radio frequency control servos, and the total mass of NWPU20 is less than 80 grams. An experimental model was fabricated and tested in the Low Turbulent Flow Wind Tunnel (LTFWT) at Northwestern Polytechnical University (NWPU) to research low Reynolds number flow characteristics of the NWPU20. The result of the wind tunnel test shows that stall angle of attack of NWPU20 can reach 30°, which is higher than that of the general aircrafts, and the maximum lift-to-drag ratio of NWPU20 can nearly reach 6 at the angle of attack of 10°, which can satisfy design requirements of the NWPU20. A small-sized propulsion/torque testing system was developed to measure and analyze the propulsion and torque performances of the motor-propeller combination used in the NWPU20. A center of gravity (c.g.) testing apparatus was developed and used to adjust the c.g. of the NWPU20 so that it has good longitudinal static stability and control. The NWPU20 prototype has undergone successfully flight tests many times; it flies at 32 kilometers per hour, with an endurance of 15 minutes, and a maximum communications range of 300 meters. With the color video camera, NWPU20 successfully transmits real-time video back to the ground station. The success of NWPU20 proves preliminarily that 20-centimeter span micro air vehicle is feasible and usable.

Low-Power Operational Amplifier for Real-Time Signal Processing System of Micro Air Vehicle

A low-power complementary metal oxide semiconductor（CMOS） operational amplifier （op-amp） for real-time signal processing of micro air vehicle （MAV） is designed in this paper.Traditional folded cascode architecture with positive channel metal oxide semiconductor（PMOS） differential input transistors and sub-threshold technology are applied under the low supply voltage.Simulation results show that this amplifier has significantly low power,while maintaining almost the same gain,bandwidth and other key performances.The power required is only 0.12 mW,which is applicable to low-power and low-voltage real-time signal acquisition and processing system.

A leveling mechanism for the platform based on booms-constraint control of aerial vehicle

In order to achieve an automatic leveling function for work platforms of aerial vehicles with mixed-booms( MAV) in full elevating domain,an auto-leveling mechanism for the platform is proposed based on a control method of booms-constraint,where mixed-boom structures and elevating characteristics are considered. Three models of constraint strategies include non-constraint model,elevating constraint model and lowering constraint model,which is designed to meet the leveling requirements in full working extent. Through the hydro-mechatronic unified modeling,a virtual prototype model is set up based on the auto-leveling mechanism,and leveling performances of the platform are studied during booms elevating to the maximum working height and extent. Simulation results show that the control method of booms-constraint can realize auto-leveling of the platform under two typical working conditions,meanwhile a leveling deviation appears at the constrained point,but the platform inclination is adjusted in the permissible range. The control method does not only restrict booms' freedom elevating to a certain extent,but also impacts the booms extending to the maximum working range. Experimental results verify that the auto-leveling mechanism based on booms-constraint control is valid and rational,which provides an effective technology approach for development of the platform leveling of MAV.

Research Progress on Bio‑inspired Flapping‑Wing Rotor Micro Aerial Vehicle Development

Flapping-wing rotor(FWR)is an innovative bio-inspired micro aerial vehicle capable of vertical take-off and landing.This unique design combines active flapping motion and passive wing rotation around a vertical central shaft to enhance aerodynamic performance.The research on FWR,though relatively new,has contributed to 6%of core journal publications in the micro aerial vehicle field over the past two decades.This paper presents the first comprehensive review of FWR,analysing the current state of the art,key advances,challenges,and future research directions.The review highlights FWR’s distinctive kinematics and aerodynamic superiority compared to traditional flapping wings,fixed wings,and rotary wings,discussing recent breakthroughs in efficient,passive wing pitching and asymmetric stroke amplitude for lift enhancement.Recent experiments and remote-controlled take-off and hovering tests of single and dual-motor FWR models have showcased their effectiveness.The review compares FWR flight performance with well-developed insect-like flapping-wing micro aerial vehicles as the technology readiness level progresses from laboratory to outdoor flight testing,advancing from the initial flight of a 2.6 g prototype to the current free flight of a 60-gram model.The review also presents ongoing research in bionic flexible wing structures,flight stability and control,and transitioning between hovering and cruise flight modes for an FWR,setting the stage for potential applications.

MAV放宽静稳定性设计的效益/代价分析

介绍了一种固定翼微型飞行器,通过对不同静稳定性设计的升阻特性、力矩特性、配平损失等进行计算分析,确定了在该类微型飞行器上应用放宽静稳定性技术的代价和效益,分析了不同操纵面布局的影响,并给出了微型飞行器在操纵面布局和控制增稳应用方面的一般计算方法和建议。

基于TMS320DM355的MAV机载视频传输系统的设计与实现

为了提高微型飞行器(MAV)无线视频传输的质量、扩大传输距离,设计并实现了一种基于3G WCDMA无线网络的机载视频传输系统。采用TI公司的达芬奇处理器TMS320DM355作为核心处理器,给出了总体设计方案和硬件结构,并阐述了采用PPP协议拨号接入WCDMA网络的方法。采用嵌入式Linux操作系统作为软件开发平台,分析并设计了基于V4L2(Video For Linux Two)驱动的视频采集模块。通过调用TI提供的编解码引擎API,实现了视频MPEG-4压缩编码处理。针对视频传输的实时性要求,采用了实时传输协议RTP和实时传输控制协议RTCP,重点阐述了MPEG-4视频的RTP封包策略,并基于JRTPLIB库文件实现了视频的实时传输功能。实验结果表明,该系统可以满足视频清晰、实时的传输要求。

MAV/UAV task coalition phased-formation method

The formation of the manned aerial vehicle/unmanned aerial vehicle(MAV/UAV) task coalition is considered. To reduce the scale of the problem, the formation progress is divided into three phases. For the task clustering phase, the geographical position of tasks is taken into consideration and a cluster method is proposed. For the UAV allocation phase, the UAV requirement for both constrained and unconstrained resources is introduced, and a multi-objective optimal algorithm is proposed to solve the allocation problem. For the MAV allocation phase, the optimal model is firstly constructed and it is decomposed according to the ideal of greed to reduce the time complexity of the algorithm. Based on the above phases, the MAV/UAV task coalition formation method is proposed and the effectiveness and practicability are demonstrated by simulation examples.

Design and experimental study of a new flapping wing rotor micro aerial vehicle

A three-wing Flapping Wing Rotor Micro Aerial Vehicle(FWR-MAV)which can perform controlled flight is introduced and an experimental study on this vehicle is presented.A mechanically driven flapping rotary mechanism is designed to drive the three flapping wings and generate lift,and control mechanisms are designed to control the pose of the FWR-MAV.A flight control board for attitude control with robust onboard attitude estimation and a control algorithm is also developed to perform stable hovering flight and forward flight.A series of flight tests was conducted,with hovering flight and forward flight tests performed to optimize the control parameters and assess the performance of the FWR-MAV.The hovering flight test shows the ability of the FWR-MAV to counteract the moment generated by rotary motion and maintain the attitude of the FWR-MAV in space;the experiment of forward flight shows that the FWR-MAV can track the desired attitude.

Intervention decision-making in MAV/UAV cooperative engagement based on human factors engineering

Aiming at the intervention decision-making problem in manned/unmanned aerial vehicle（MAV/UAV） cooperative engagement, this paper carries out a research on allocation strategy of emergency discretion based on human factors engineering（HFE）.Firstly, based on the brief review of research status of HFE, it gives structural description to emergency in the process of cooperative engagement and analyzes intervention of commanders. After that,constraint conditions of intervention decision-making of commanders based on HFE（IDMCBHFE） are given, and the mathematical model, which takes the overall efficiency value of handling emergencies as the objective function, is established. Then, through combining K-best and variable neighborhood search（VNS） algorithm, a K-best optimization variable neighborhood search mixed algorithm（KBOVNSMA） is designed to solve the model. Finally,through three groups of simulation experiments, effectiveness and superiority of the proposed algorithm are verified.

Topology optimization in lightweight design of a 3D-printed flapping-wing micro aerial vehicle

Topology optimization is an effective method to obtain a lightweight structure that meets the requirements of structural strength.Whether the optimization results meet the actual needs mainly depends on the accuracy of the material properties and the boundary conditions,especially for a tiny Flapping-wing Micro Aerial Vehicle(FMAV)transmission system manufactured by 3D printing.In this paper,experimental and numerical computation efforts were undertaken to gain a reliable topology optimization method for the bottom of the transmission system.First,the constitutive behavior of the ultraviolet(UV)curable resin used in fabrication was evaluated.Second,a numerical computation model describing further verified via experiments.Topology optimization modeling considering nonlinear factors,e.g.contact,friction and collision,was presented,and the optimization results were verified by both dynamic simulation and experiments.Finally,detailed discussions on different load cases and constraints were presented to clarify their effect on the optimization.Our methods and results presented in this paper may shed light on the lightweight design of a FMAV.

Pendulum-like oscillation controller for micro aerial vehicle with ducted fan based on LQR and PSO

This paper describes a novel type of pendulum-like oscillation controller for micro air vehicle(MAV) hover and stare state in the presence of external disturbances,which is based on linear-quadratic regulator(LQR) and particle swarm optimization(PSO).A linear mathematical model of pendulum phenomenon based upon actual wind tunnel test data representing the hover mode is established,and a hybrid LQR and PSO approach is proposed to stabilize oscillation.PSO is applied to parameter optimization of the designed LQR controller.A series of comparative experiments are conducted,and the results have verified the feasibility,effectiveness and robustness of our proposed approach.

Co-simulation and Experimental Study for Wingspan of Flapping Wing Micro Aerial Vehicle

The 3D model of flapping wing mechanism and veins is constructed in 3D computer aided design (CAD) software UG.Then the co-simulation model is established by using multibody dynamics software ADAMS and MATLAB.The validation of this co-simulation model is verified by comparing the simulation results with final experiments.The simulation results and experiments reveal that the relation between flapping frequency and driving voltage of motor is approximately linear under various wingspans.The variance of flapping frequency among different wingspans augments gradually with increasing voltage.Furthermore,the simulation results suggest that flapping frequency is sensitive to wingspan and decreases with increasing wingspan of veins,and the relation between flapping frequency and moment of inertia of veins is also approximately linear for various voltages.

Joint Scheduling and Resource Allocation for Federated Learning in SWIPT-Enabled Micro UAV Swarm Networks

Micro-UAV swarms usually generate massive data when performing tasks. These data can be harnessed with various machine learning(ML) algorithms to improve the swarm’s intelligence. To achieve this goal while protecting swarm data privacy, federated learning(FL) has been proposed as a promising enabling technology. During the model training process of FL, the UAV may face an energy scarcity issue due to the limited battery capacity. Fortunately, this issue is potential to be tackled via simultaneous wireless information and power transfer(SWIPT). However, the integration of SWIPT and FL brings new challenges to the system design that have yet to be addressed, which motivates our work. Specifically,in this paper, we consider a micro-UAV swarm network consisting of one base station(BS) and multiple UAVs, where the BS uses FL to train an ML model over the data collected by the swarm. During training, the BS broadcasts the model and energy simultaneously to the UAVs via SWIPT, and each UAV relies on its harvested and battery-stored energy to train the received model and then upload it to the BS for model aggregation. To improve the learning performance, we formulate a problem of maximizing the percentage of scheduled UAVs by jointly optimizing UAV scheduling and wireless resource allocation. The problem is a challenging mixed integer nonlinear programming problem and is NP-hard in general. By exploiting its special structure property, we develop two algorithms to achieve the optimal and suboptimal solutions, respectively. Numerical results show that the suboptimal algorithm achieves a near-optimal performance under various network setups, and significantly outperforms the existing representative baselines. considered.

某型MAV的自主导航算法及飞行试验

针对某型固定翼MAV,在飞行姿态控制和高度控制已经比较完善、机载GPS精度受到制约并存在信号延时的状况下,对该MAV的导航算法进行了探讨。历经多次计算机仿真和飞行试验,根据PID控制原理,设计并完善了适合该MAV的导航算法,给出了基于此算法的飞行试验结果。试验结果表明,该算法满足MAV执行长距离飞行任务的要求。

Flexible micro flow sensor for micro aerial vehicles

This article summarizes our studies on micro flow sensors fabricated on a flexible polyimide circuit board by a low-cost hybrid process of thin-film deposition and circuit printing. The micro flow sensor has merits of flexibility, structural simplicity, easy integrability with circuits, and good sensing performance. The sensor, which adheres to an object surface, can detect the surface flow around the object. In our study, we install the fabricated micro flow sensors on micro aerial vehicles （MAVs） to detect the surface flow variation around the aircraft wing and deduce the aerodynamic parameters of the MAVs in flight. Wind tunnel experiments using the sensors integrated with the MAVs are also conducted.

A novel MAV with treadmill motion of wing

The Magnus effect is well known phenomena for producing high lift values from spinning symmetrical geometries such as cylinders, spheres, or disks. But, the Magnus force may also be produced by treadmill motion of aerodynamic bodies. To accomplish this, the skin of aerodynamic bodies may circulate with a constant circumferential speed. Here, a novel wing with treadmill motion of skin is introduced which may generate lift at zero air speeds. The new wing may lead to micro aerial vehicle configurations for vertical take-off or landing. To prove the concept, the NACA0015 aerofoil section with circulating skin is computationally investigated. Two cases of stationary air and moving air are studied. It is observed that lift can be generated in stationary air although drag force is also high. For moving air, the lift and drag forces may be adopted between the incidence angles 20° to 25° where lift can posses high values and drag can remain moderate.