Guidance, Navigation and Control System Design for a Tri-Propeller VTOL UAV
Joseph Althaus, Yong Liu, Rui Huang, Nathan Daniher, Christopher Engel, Jianjun Zhu · AIAA Guidance, Navigation, and Control Conference and Exhibit · 2007
(Abstract) In this paper, we present the design and development of the guidance, navigation and control (GNC) system of a vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) unmanned air vehicle (UAV) based on a six degrees of freedom (6DOF) nonlinear dynamic model. The VTOL UAV is equipped with three propellers for vertical thrust, and thrust differential is used for 3DOF attitude control actuation. MATLAB/SIMULINK simulation testing of the 6DOF control algorithm is presented, which verifies the trajectory linearization control (TLC) algorithm. Hardware and software implementation of the flight controller, ground command station and onboard navigation sensors are also discussed.