Optimal Wind Corrected Flight Path Planning for Micro Air Vehicles with a Dual Sensor Configuration
Michael D. Zollars, Paul Blue, Brian Burns · AIAA Guidance, Navigation, and Control Conference and Exhibit · 2007
This research effort focuses on determining the optimal flight path required to put a micro air vehicle's (MAV's) fixed sensor on a target in the presence of a constant wind. Many times a MAV will be equipped with two sensors for aerial surveillance. The first is pointed out the nose and is the primary sensor. An additional sensor may be pointed out the side of the vehicle to aid in surveillance or target recognition. As the size and weight of these vehicles continue to decrease dramatically, the wind effects have made it increasingly difficult to accurately fly and monitor a desired destination. Therefore, the goal of this research was to use dynamic optimization techniques to determine the optimal flight path to place a MAV's sensor footprint on a target when operating in wind for two different scenarios. The first scenario considered the minimum time path given an initial position and heading and a final position and heading. This scenario was accomplished using both a forward and a side mounted sensor. The results of these flight paths were compared to determine the utility of each sensor. The second scenario utilized both the forward mounted sensor as well as the side mounted sensor to optimize the time the target is continually in view of the sensor footprint. Each of these scenarios has been captured in simulated plots that depict varying wind angles, wind speeds, and initial and final heading angles. These optimal flight paths provide a benchmark that will validate the quality of future closed-loop wind compensated control systems.