186 research outputs found
Takeoff and landing on slopes via inclined hovering with a tethered aerial robot
In this paper we face the challenging problem of takeoff and landing on sloped surfaces for a VTOL aerial vehicle. We define the general conditions for a safe and robust maneuver and we analyze and compare two classes of methods to fulfill these conditions: free-flight vs. passivelytethered. Focusing on the less studied tethered method, we show its advantages w.r.t. the free-flight method thanks to the possibility of inclined hovering equilibria. We prove that the tether configuration and the inclination of the aerial vehicle w.r.t. the slope are flat outputs of the system and we design a hierarchical nonlinear controller based on this property. We then show how this controller can be used to land and takeoff in a robust way without the need of either a planner or a perfect tracking. The validity and applicability of the method in the real world is shown by experiments with a quadrotor that is able to perform a safe landing and takeoff on a sloped surface
Geometric Controls for a Tethered Quadrotor UAV
This paper deals with the dynamics and controls of a quadrotor unmanned
aerial vehicle that is connected to a fixed point on the ground via a tether.
Tethered quadrotors have been envisaged for long-term aerial surveillance with
high-speed communications. This paper presents an intrinsic form of the dynamic
model of a tethered quadrotor including the coupling between deformations of
the tether and the motion of the quadrotor, and it constructs geometric control
systems to asymptotically stabilize the coupled dynamics of the quadrotor and
the tether. The proposed global formulation of dynamics and control also avoids
complexities and singularities associated with local coordinates. These are
illustrated by numerical examples
Proceedings of the International Micro Air Vehicles Conference and Flight Competition 2017 (IMAV 2017)
The IMAV 2017 conference has been held at ISAE-SUPAERO, Toulouse, France from Sept. 18 to Sept. 21, 2017. More than 250 participants coming from 30 different countries worldwide have presented their latest research activities in the field of drones. 38 papers have been presented during the conference including various topics such as Aerodynamics, Aeroacoustics, Propulsion, Autopilots, Sensors, Communication systems, Mission planning techniques, Artificial Intelligence, Human-machine cooperation as applied to drones
Aerial Vehicles
This book contains 35 chapters written by experts in developing techniques for making aerial vehicles more intelligent, more reliable, more flexible in use, and safer in operation.It will also serve as an inspiration for further improvement of the design and application of aeral vehicles. The advanced techniques and research described here may also be applicable to other high-tech areas such as robotics, avionics, vetronics, and space
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