Optimal Path Planning for Skid-to-Turn Unmanned Aerial Vehicle
Nobuhiro Yokoyama, Yoshimasa Ochi · AIAA Guidance, Navigation, and Control Conference and Exhibit · 2008
Skid-to-turn is an effective way of turn for small unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) because of stable GPS receptions, data link receptions/transmissions, and easiness in target observation by gimbaled camera. This paper describes two types of path planning algorithms for the skid-to-turn UAVs, both of which calculate paths between two waypoints under constant wind. The one is a rigorous optimization algorithm based on the EulerLagrange formulation with analytical integration of the path. The other is a fast algorithm describing the path by two circular arcs connected with a straight segment or another circular arc in the air frame, which is similar to the Dubins path. The latter algorithm is developed for actual airborne application, whereas the former algorithm is developed to check the quasi-optimality of the path calculated by the latter algorithm. We present a convergence proof of the latter algorithm under some assumptions and its quasi-optimality in comparison with the former algorithm. Furthermore, the computational efficiency and the convergence reliability of the latter algorithm are demonstrated through numerical examples.