Real-Time Path Optimization for 3D UAS Line Survey Operations
Aaron T. Blevins · AIAA SCITECH 2023 Forum · 2023
View Video Presentation: https://doi.org/10.2514/6.2023-0395.vid In this work, an autonomy package is developed that can be used to optimize a flight trajectory in real-time through a series of 3-Dimensional survey lines. These trajectories are generated by extending standard 2-Dimensional Dubins Paths, which take into account the turn radius constraints of the Unmanned Aerial System, with the unique flight altitudes of the survey lines, while constraining the path based on climb and descent rate limitations. In order to generate an optimal path through the series of survey lines, Ant Colony Optimization is used in order to solve the Traveling Salesman Problem, using the Dubins Path lengths between respective survey lines to populate the cost matrices. Longitudinal and Lateral-Directional aircraft guidance methods are implemented in order to track the desired trajectory. The autonomy package is first tested in a simulation environment, where the resulting routes and tracking performance is assessed for an example mission scenario. Finally, the autonomy package is integrated onto an embedded system, which is used to control the aircraft during preliminary flight test validation, and the resulting autonomous behaviors and tracking performance is assessed.