UAV-mounted Ground Penetrating Radar: an example for the stability analysis of a mountain rock debris slope

This paper describes scientific research conducted to highlight the potential of an integrated GPR-UAV system in engineering-geological applications.The analysis focused on the stability of a natural scree slope in the Germanasca Valley,in the western Italian Alps.As a consequence of its steep shape and the related geological hazard,the study used different remote sensed methodologies such as UAV photogrammetry and geophysics survey by a GPR-drone integrated system.Furthermore,conventional in-situ surveys led to the collection of geological and geomorphological data.The use of the UAV-mounted GPR allowed us to investigate the bedrock depth under the detrital slope deposit,using a non-invasive technique able to conduct surveys on inaccessible areas prone to hazardous conditions for operators.The collected evidence and the results of the analysis highlighted the stability of the slope with Factors of Safety,verified in static conditions(i.e.,natural static condition and static condition with snow cover),slightly above the stability limit value of 1.On the contrary,the dynamic loading conditions(i.e.,seismic action applied)showed a Factor of Safety below the stability limit value.The UAV-mounted GPR represented an essential contribution to the surveys allowing the definition of the interface debris deposit-bedrock,which are useful to design the slope model and to evaluate the scree slope stability in different conditions.

Design and implementation of a leader-follower cooperative control system for unmanned helicopters

In this paper, we present a full scheme for the cooperative control of multiple unmanned aerial vehicle （UAV） helicopters. We adopt the leader-follower pattern to maintain a fixed geometrical formation while navigating the UAVs following certain trajectories. More specifically, the leader is commanded to fly on some predefined trajectories, and each follower is controlled to maintain its position in formation using the measurement of its inertial position and the information of the leader position and velocity, obtained through a wireless modem. More specifications are made for multiple UAV formation flight. In order to avoid possible collisions of UAV helicopters in the actual formation flight test, a collision avoidance scheme based on some predefined alert zones and protected zones is employed. Simulations and experimental results are presented to verify our design.

Longitudinal parameter identification of a small unmanned aerial vehicle based on modified particle swarm optimization

Abstract This paper describes a longitudinal parameter identification procedure for a small unmanned aerial vehicle （UAV） through modified particle swam optimization （PSO）. The proce- dure is demonstrated using a small UAV equipped with only an micro-electro-mechanical systems （MEMS） inertial mea,mring element and a global positioning system （GPS） receiver to provide test information. A small UAV longitudinal parameter mathematical model is derived and the modified method is proposed based on PSO with selective particle regeneration （SRPSO）. Once modified PSO is applied to the mathematical model, the simulation results show that the mathematical model is correct, and aerodynamic parameters and coefficients of the propeller can be identified accurately. Results are compared with those of PSO and SRPSO and the comparison shows that the proposed method is more robust and faster than the other methods for the longitudinal parameter identification of the small UAV. Some parameter identification results are affected slightly by noise, but the identification results are very good overall. Eventually, experimental validation is employed to test the proposed method, which demonstrates the usefulness of this method.

Formation tracking control for time-delayed multi-agent systems with second-order dynamics

In this paper, formation tracking control problems for second-order multi-agent systems（MASs） with time-varying delays are studied, specifically those where the position and velocity of followers are designed to form a time-varying formation while tracking those of the leader. A neighboring relative state information based formation tracking protocol with an unknown gain matrix and time-varying delays is presented. The formation tracking problems are then transformed into asymptotically stable problems. Based on the Lyapunov-Krasovskii functional approach, conditions sufficient for second-order MASs with time-varying delays to realize formation tracking are examined. An approach to obtain the unknown gain matrix is given and, since neighboring relative velocity information is difficult to measure in practical applications, a formation tracking protocol with time-varying delays using only neighboring relative position information is introduced. The proposed results can be used on target enclosing problems for MASs with second-order dynamics and time-varying delays. An application for target enclosing by multiple unmanned aerial vehicles（UAVs） is given to demonstrate the feasibility of theoretical results.

Static strength analysis of dragonfly inspired wings for biomimetic micro aerial vehicles

This article examines the suitability of fabricating artificial, dragonfly-like, wing frames from materials that are commonly used in unmanned aircraft （balsa wood, black graphite carbon fiber and red prepreg fiberglass）. Wing frames made with Type 321 stainless steel are also examined for comparison. The purpose of these wings is for future use in biomimetic micro aerial vehicles （BMAV）. BMAV are a new class of unmanned micro-sized aerial vehicles that mimic flying biolog- ical organisms （like flying insects）. Insects, such as dragonflies, possess corrugated and complex vein structures that are difficult to mimic. Simplified dragonfly-like wing frames were fabricated from these materials and then a nano-composite film was adhered to them, which mimics the membrane of an actual dragonfly. Finite element analysis simulations were also performed and compared to experimental results. The results showed good agreement （less than 10% difference for all cases）. Analysis of these results shows that stainless steel is a poor choice for this wing configuration, pri- marily because of the aggressive oxidation observed. Steel, as well as balsa wood, also lacks flexi- bility. In comparison, black graphite carbon fiber and red prepreg fiberglass offer some structural advantages, making them more suitable for consideration in future BMAV applications.