Automatic Carrier Landing Control for Unmanned Aerial Vehicles Based on Preview Control

For carrier-based unmanned aerial vehicles(UAVs),one of the important problems is the design of an automatic carrier landing system(ACLS)that would enable the UAVs to accomplish autolanding on the aircraft carrier.However,due to the movements of the flight deck with six degree-of-freedom,the autolanding becomes sophisticated.To solve this problem,an accurate and effective ACLS is developed,which is composed of an optimal preview control based flight control system and a Kalman filter based deck motion predictor.The preview control fuses the future information of the reference glide slope to improve landing precision.The reference glide slope is normally a straight line.However,the deck motion will change the position of the ideal landing point,and tracking the ideal straight glide slope may cause landing failure.Therefore,the predictive deck motion information from the deck motion predictor is used to correct the reference glide slope,which decreases the dispersion around the desired landing point.Finally,simulations are carried out to verify the performance of the designed ACLS based on a nonlinear UAV model.

Switchable shape memory polymer bio-inspired adhesive and its application for unmanned aerial vehicle landing

Controlled and switchable adhesion is commonly observed in biological systems.In recent years,many scholars have focused on making switchable bio-inspired adhesives.However,making a bio-inspired adhesive with high adhesion performance and excellent dynamic switching properties is still a challenge.A Shape Memory Polymer Bio-inspired Adhesive(SMPBA)was successfully developed,well realizing high adhesion(about 337 kPa),relatively low preload(about90 kPa),high adhesion-to-preload ratio(about 3.74),high switching ratio(about 6.74),and easy detachment,which are attributed to the controlled modulus and contact area by regulating temperature and the Shape Memory Effect(SME).Furthermore,SMPBA exhibits adhesion strength of80–337 kPa on various surfaces(silicon,iron,and aluminum)with different roughness(Ra=0.021–10.280)because of the conformal contact,reflecting outstanding surface adaptability.The finite element analysis verifies the bending ability under different temperatures,while the adhesion model analyzes the influence of preload on contact area and adhesion.Furthermore,an Unmanned Aerial Vehicle(UAV)landing device with SMPBA was designed and manufactured to achieve UAV landing on and detaching from various surfaces.This study provides a novel switchable bio-inspired adhesive and UAV landing method.

Multi-objective Optimization Design of Vented Cylindrical Airbag Cushioning System for Unmanned Aerial Vehicle

Multi-objective optimization design of the gas-filled bag cushion landing system is investigated.Firstly,the landing process of airbag is decomposed into a adiabatic compression and a release of landing shock energy,and the differential equation of cylindrical gas-filled bag is presented from a theoretical perspective based on the ideal gas state equation and dynamic equation.Then,the effects of exhaust areas and blasting pressure on buffer characteristics are studied,taking those parameters as design variable for the multiobjective optimization problem,and the solution can be determined by comparing Pareto set,which is gained by NSGA-Ⅱ.Finally,the feasibility of the design scheme is verified by experimental results of the ground test.

Avian contrast sensitivity inspired contour detector for unmanned aerial vehicle landing

Runway detection is a demanding task for autonomous landing of unmanned aerial vehicles. Inspired by the attenuation effect and surround suppression mechanism, a novel biologically computational method based on the avian contrast sensitivity is proposed for runway contour detection. For the noisy stimuli, deniosed responses of the biologically inspired Gabor energy operator are generalized followed by the denoising layer and the multiresolution fusion layer. Moreover, two factors such as contour effect and texture suppression are considered in the contrast sensitivity based surround inhibition. Different from traditional detectors, which do not distinguish between contours and texture edges, the proposed method can respond strongly to contours and suppress the texture information. Applying the contrast sensitivity inspired detector to noisy runway scenes yields effective contours, while the non-meaningful texture elements are removed dramatically at the same time. Besides the superior performance over traditional detectors, the proposed method is capable to provide insight into the attenuation effect of the avian contrast sensitivity function and has potential applications in computer vision and pattern recognition.

Prognostics for Lithium-ion batteries for electric Vertical Take-off andLanding aircraft using data-driven machine learning

The health management of batteries is a key enabler for the adoption of Electric Vertical Take-off and Landingvehicles (eVTOLs). Currently, few studies consider the health management of eVTOL batteries. One distinctcharacteristic of batteries for eVTOLs is that the discharge rates are significantly larger during take-off andlanding, compared with the battery discharge rates needed for automotives. Such discharge protocols areexpected to impact the long-run health of batteries. This paper proposes a data-driven machine learningframework to estimate the state-of-health and remaining-useful-lifetime of eVTOL batteries under varying flightconditions and taking into account the entire flight profile of the eVTOLs. Three main features are consideredfor the assessment of the health of the batteries: charge, discharge and temperature. The importance of thesefeatures is also quantified. Considering battery charging before flight, a selection of missions for state-ofhealth and remaining-useful-lifetime prediction is performed. The results show that indeed, discharge-relatedfeatures have the highest importance when predicting battery state-of-health and remaining-useful-lifetime.Using several machine learning algorithms, it is shown that the battery state-of-health and remaining-useful-lifeare well estimated using Random Forest regression and Extreme Gradient Boosting, respectively.

GUIDANCE AND CONTROL FOR AUTOMATIC LANDING OF UAV

A scheme of guidance and control is presented to meet the requirements for automatic landing of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) based on the airborne digital flight control system and radio tracker on ground station. An automatic landing system is realized for an unmanned aerial vehicle. The results of real time simulation and flight test are given to illustrate the effectiveness and availability of the scheme. Results meet all the requirements for automatic landing of the unmanned aerial vehicle.

Air2Land:A deep learning dataset for unmanned aerial vehicle autolanding from air to land

In this paper,a novel deep learning dataset,called Air2Land,is presented for advancing the state‐of‐the‐art object detection and pose estimation in the context of one fixed‐wing unmanned aerial vehicle autolanding scenarios.It bridges vision and control for ground‐based vision guidance systems having the multi‐modal data obtained by diverse sensors and pushes forward the development of computer vision and autopilot algorithms tar-geted at visually assisted landing of one fixed‐wing vehicle.The dataset is composed of sequential stereo images and synchronised sensor data,in terms of the flying vehicle pose and Pan‐Tilt Unit angles,simulated in various climate conditions and landing scenarios.Since real‐world automated landing data is very limited,the proposed dataset provides the necessary foundation for vision‐based tasks such as flying vehicle detection,key point localisation,pose estimation etc.Hereafter,in addition to providing plentiful and scene‐rich data,the developed dataset covers high‐risk scenarios that are hardly accessible in reality.The dataset is also open and available at https://github.com/micros‐uav/micros_air2land as well.

Tradeoff Analysis of Factors Affecting Longitudinal Carrier Landing Performance for Small UAV Based on Backstepping Controller

Tradeoff analysis of the factors,including external environment and unmanned aerial vehicle(UAV)aerodynamic attributes,which affect longitudinal carrier landing performance,is important for small UAV.First,small UAV longitudinal carrier landing system is established,as well as the nonlinear dynamics and kinematics model,and then the longitudinal flight control system using backstepping technology with minimum information about the aerodynamic is designed.To assess the landing performance,a variety of influencing factors are considered,resulting in the constraints of aerodynamic attributes of carrier UAV.The simulation results show that the severe sea condition has the greatest influence on landing dispersion,while air wake is the primary factor on impact velocity.Among the longitudinal aerodynamic parameters,the lift curve slope is the most important factor affecting the landing performance,and increasing lift curve slope can improve the landing performance significantly.A better system performance will be achieved when the lift curve slope is larger than 2per radian.

Measuring the area of cultivated land reclaimed from rural settlements using an unmanned aerial vehicle

Investigating and monitoring the area of cultivated land reclaimed from rural settlements is important to optimize rural land use and understand spatial patterns. Measuring cultivated land area is costly and inefficient, however, as this land use type is often widely dispersed and scattered. A new method is therefore explored in this study that utilizes a Phantom2 Vision +(P2V), one kind of Dajiang(DJI) unmanned aerial vehicle(UAV). The method proposed here includes generating rural settlement images using a P2V UAV, subsequently correcting them using a camera lens model, matching them with geo-coded high resolution alternatives, mosaicking them, measuring the area of cultivated land reclaimed from rural settlements, evaluating measurement accuracy, and analyzing overall efficiency.The results of this study show that use of a P2V UAV is reasonable in price, less than 8000 yuan(RMB), and that this method is able to measure cultivated land area reclaimed from rural settlements with 99% accuracy. This method is therefore low cost, highly efficient, and low risk, as well as being easy to learn and use. This UAV-based approach is also likely to be easily popularized and be particularly useful both for application across plains and flats as well as over mountains and hills. The method proposed in this study is also likely to prove beneficial for monitoring and managing rural land use and future consolidation.

Development of a Bird-like Flapping-wing Aerial Vehicle with Autonomous Take-off and Landing Capabilities

The lack of autonomous take-off and landing capabilities of bird-like flapping-wing aerial vehicles(BFAVs)seriously restricts their further development and application.Thus,combined with the current research results on the autonomous take-off and landing technology of unmanned aerial vehicles,four types of technologies are studied,including jumping take-off and landing technology,taxiing take-off and landing technology,gliding take-off and landing technology,and vertical take-off and landing(VTOL)technology.Based on the analytic hierarchy process(AHP)-comprehensive evaluation method,a fuzzy comprehensive evaluation model for the autonomous take-off and landing scheme of a BFAV is established,and four schemes are evaluated concretely.The results show that under the existing technical conditions,the hybrid layout VTOL scheme is the best.Furthermore,the detailed design and development of the prototype of a BFAV with a four-rotor hybrid layout are carried out,and the vehicle performance is tested.The results prove that through the four-rotor hybrid layout design,the BFAV has good autonomous take-off and landing abilities.The power consumption analysis shows that for a fixed-point reconnaissance mission,when the mission radius is less than 3.38 km,the VTOL type exhibits longer mission duration than the hand-launched type.

Concept of Spinsonde for Multi-Cycle Measurement of Vertical Wind Profile of Tropical Cyclones

Tropical cyclones and cyclogenesis are active areas of research. Chute-operated dropsondes are capable of acquiring high resolution vertical wind profile of tropical cyclones. This work proposes a chute-free vertical retardation technique (termed as spinsonde) that can accurately measure vertical wind speed profile. Unlike the expendable dropsondes, the spinsonde allows multi-cycle measurement to be performed within a single flight. Proof of principle is demonstrated via simulation and results indicate that the ground speed correlates with the wind speeds to within ±5 km·h-1. This technique reduces flying weight and increases payload capacity by eliminating bulky chutes. Maximum cruising speed (VH) achieved by the spinsonde UAV is 368 km·h-1.

一种多段机翼水面起降地效无人机气动特性

为改善水面起降性能和气动性能,基于船身式机身、多段机翼和T尾融合设计思路,提出并设计了一种新型仿生式多段机翼地效无人机方案,采用N-S方程和K-Ω-SST湍流模型,详细研究了该型无人机在不同状态下的压力云图、压力系数及升阻特性。仿真结果表明,地效作用随离水高度的增加而减小,离水高度与平均几何弦长之比(高度弦长比H/c)接近1时,地效作用较为显著,无人机在离水高度0.2 m时,升力系数、升阻比分别提升21.91%和40.37%,阻力系数降低15.22%;对提出的多段机翼布局,地效飞行主要影响下表面压力系数和压力云图,下表面压力系数展向上由内向外正压增幅逐渐减小,弦向上前后缘附近压力系数较小,结合压力云图分析,地效对升力增幅的影响主要集中在中段和内段机翼下方区域;地效飞行可明显提高升力线斜率(H/c为1时提高了8.89%),迎角增加时升力系数增幅和阻力系数降幅均逐渐变大,升阻比增幅(H/c为1)在迎角2°后均达到26%以上;通过验证机的多轮水面起降和有、无地效飞行试验,证明设计方案具有优秀的气动性能和飞行性能,可为水质检测、水面地效运输、搜救侦察等提供应用平台。

不同海况条件下舰载无人机着舰安全分析

针对无人机上舰的使用需求,本文对舰载无人机着舰开展了系统的研究。建立了机-舰-环境综合模型和舰载无人机全自动着舰引导控制系统;基于建立的舰载无人机着舰综合模型对不同海况下的着舰过程进行仿真分析,研究不同海况条件以及航母不同航速和遭遇角对着舰安全的影响。仿真研究表明:在复杂海况下,航母可通过适当提高航速以获得更高的着舰成功率,但过高的航速会导致舰尾流扰动加剧,使得着舰成功率显著下降;通过对仿真结果进行统计分析,给出了不同海况下的着舰安全范围,为无人机着舰辅助决策提供参考。

航母舰载无人机全自动着舰技术特点分析

全自动着舰技术是无人机上舰必须解决的“使能”技术。2013年,美军已完成X-47B无人机验证机在航母上的全自动着舰试验验证,为其发展MQ-25A“黄貂鱼”航母舰载无人机装备奠定了良好的技术基础。在梳理飞机着陆与着舰差异的基础上,给出航母舰载无人机全自动着舰的通用流程;从地位作用、工作范围、系统构架、系统要求、实现手段以及关键技术支撑等角度,对比有人机重点分析了航母舰载无人机全自动着舰的特点,为后续关键技术研究和武器装备建设发展提供参考。

我国低空经济的技术经济范式分析与发展对策

低空经济作为我国战略性新兴产业,具有典型的新质生产力特征。从低空经济的发展看,其符合技术经济范式的一般特征。低空经济发展遵循包含驱动力、新结构与新形态、价值创造活动、价值创造结果四要素的范式。目前,我国低空经济发展总体处于起步阶段,政策风口效应明显,发展前景广阔。依照技术经济范式,从驱动力看,我国正在逐步构建低空技术牵引、低空基础设施保障、低空经济政策助推的驱动力体系;从新结构与新形态看,我国低空经济已经广泛融入农业生产、观光旅游、物流配送、环境监测、应急救援等领域,在信息维度、能量维度、情绪维度的价值不断显现,同时部分城市依托低空经济产业链走出低空经济特色发展之路;从价值创造活动看,我国在低空飞行器制造、低空服务、低空运营维保等领域涌现出一批代表性企业,低空经济的场景和规模不断扩充,价值创造活动前景广阔;从价值创造结果看,近年来我国低空经济规模保持较快增长,在直接带动经济增长的同时展现出降低成本、提高效率、促进就业等社会效益。总体而言,发展低空经济是一项系统工程。尽管我国通用航空发展为低空经济奠定了基础,但与发达国家相比,我国低空经济发展仍然存在诸多不足,顶层设计亟待加强,体制机制有待理顺,技术创新有待加强,场景拓展有待加快,综合成本有待下降,行业保障有待提升。因此,应制定战略规划,统筹低空经济发展,优化低空空域管理,加大财政金融支持,推动低空经济产业链协同发展,加快技术创新与人才队伍建设,加强低空经济基础设施和法规标准体系建设以及安全保障。

A multi-strategy pigeon-inspired optimization approach to active disturbance rejection control parameters tuning for vertical take-off and landing fixed-wing UAV

In this paper.Active Disturbance Rejection Control(ADRC)is utilized in the pitch control of a vertical take-off and landing fixed-wing Unmanned Aerial Vehicle(UAV)to address the problem of height fluctuation during the transition from hover to level flight.Considering the difficulty of parameter tuning of ADRC as well as the requirement of accuracy and rapidity of the controller,a Multi-Strategy Pigeon-Inspired Optimization(MSPIO)algorithm is employed.Particle Swarm Optimization(PSO),Genetic Algorithm(GA),the basic Pigeon-Inspired Optimization(PIO),and an improved PIO algorithm CMPIO are compared.In addition,the optimized ADRC control system is compared with the pure Proportional-Integral-Derivative(PID)control system and the non-optimized ADRC control system.The effectiveness of the designed control strategy for forward transition is verified and the faster convergence speed and better exploitation ability of the proposed MSPIO algorithm are confirmed by simulation results.

陆上机动力量反无人机集群作战的挑战与对策

面对无人机集群日益凸显的作战威胁,反无人机集群技术研究被提上日程。针对陆上机动力量作战特点,从战术层面和战略层面对反无人机集群作战问题进行了研究。首先,分析了反无人机集群作战的特点;然后,从侦察预警、拦截打击和干扰压制3个方面,提出了陆上机动力量反无人机集群的战法运用方式;最后,给出了陆上机动力量反无人机集群作战能力建设的意见和建议。

Robust Optimal Higher-order-observer-based Dynamic Sliding Mode Control for VTOL Unmanned Aerial Vehicles

This paper investigates the precise trajectory tracking of unmanned aerial vehicles(UAV) capable of vertical take-off and landing(VTOL) subjected to external disturbances. For this reason, a robust higher-order-observer-based dynamic sliding mode controller(HOB-DSMC) is developed and optimized using the fractional-order firefly algorithm(FOFA). In the proposed scheme, the sliding surface is defined as a function of output variables, and the higher-order observer is utilized to estimate the unmeasured variables,which effectively alleviate the undesirable effects of the chattering phenomenon. A neighboring point close to the sliding surface is considered, and as the tracking error approaches this point, the second control is activated to reduce the control input. The stability analysis of the closed-loop system is studied based on Lyapunov stability theorem. For a better study of the proposed scheme, various trajectory tracking tests are provided, where accurate tracking and strong robustness can be simultaneously ensured. Comparative simulation results validate the proposed control strategy′s effectiveness and its superiorities over conventional sliding mode controller(SMC) and integral SMC approaches.

A Nonlinear Optimal Control Approach for the Vertical Take-off and Landing Aircraft

The paper proposes a nonlinear optimal control approach for the model of the vertical take off and landing(VTOL)aircraft.This aerial drone receives as control input a directed thrust,as well as forces acting on its wing tips.The latter forces are not perpendicular to the body axis of the drone but are tilted by a small angle.The dynamic model of the VTOL undergoes ap-proximate linearization with the use of Taylor series expansion around a temporary operating point which is recomputed at each iteration of the control method.For the approximately linearized model,an H-infinity feedback controller is designed.The linearization procedure relies on the computation of the Jacobian matrices of the state-space model of the VTOL aircraft.The proposed control method stands for the solution of the optimal control problem for the nonlinear and multivariable dynamics of the aerial drone,under model uncertainties and external per-turbations.For the computation of the contollr's feedback gains,an algebraic Riccati equation is solved at each time-step of the control method.The new nonlinear optimal control approach achieves fast and accurate tracking for all state variables of the VTOL aircnaft,under moderate variations of the control inputs.The stability properties of the control scheme are proven through Lyapunov analysis.

临近空间太阳能飞行器着陆状态阵风响应

对临近空间太阳能飞行器着陆状态时的阵风响应问题开展了数值模拟研究。针对该类飞行器质量轻、柔性大、降落时速度低的特点,基于CFD/CSD松耦合分析法,利用网格速度法引入阵风载荷。以1-cos阵风模型为基础,探讨了飞行器着陆状态遭遇二维阵风载荷时,其翼尖位移、扭转角、翼根所受结构整体弯矩以及升力系数的变化特性;并将二维阵风响应结果与一维阵风响应结果进行对比;获得了临近空间太阳能飞行器着陆时,二维阵风沿飞行器翼展方向的变化对其结构和气动性能的影响规律。