Distributed Quadrotor UAV Tracking using a Team of Unmanned Ground Vehicles
Oyindamola Omotuyi, Sameer Pokhrel, Rajnikant Sharma · AIAA Scitech 2021 Forum · 2021
View Video Presentation: https://doi.org/10.2514/6.2021-0266.vid In this paper, we present an algorithm to optimally track a non-cooperative quadrotor using a team of Unmanned Ground Vehicles (UGVs) which are equipped with GPS as well as radar capable of sensing range, azimuth angle and elevation angle measurements. First, a distributed information filter algorithm is developed for each UGV to locally estimate the position and velocity of the quadrotor using its information and information from neighboring UGVs. We then fuse the information from various UGVs using a Consensus Filter such that their estimate of the state of the quadrotor converges. However, the accuracy of the estimation by the consensus filter depends upon the relative position of the sensors. Hence, it is necessary to design a control policy that leads to optimum configuration of UGVs in order to maximize the utility of measurement. A Model Predictive Controller(MPC) is developed to optimally control the UGVs to improve the state estimation. By defining a proper cost function and optimization algorithm in MPC, we are able to control the path of UGVs to increase the accuracy of estimating the position and velocity of a non-cooperative quadrotor.