Wind preview-based model predictive control of multi-rotor UAVs using LiDAR

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dc.contributor.authorMendez, Arthur P.
dc.contributor.authorWhidborne, James F.
dc.contributor.authorChen, Lejun
dc.date.accessioned2023-04-18T09:49:53Z
dc.date.available2023-04-18T09:49:53Z
dc.date.issued2023-04-03
dc.description.abstractAutonomous outdoor operations of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs), such as quadrotors, expose the aircraft to wind gusts causing a significant reduction in their position-holding performance. This vulnerability becomes more critical during the automated docking of these vehicles to outdoor charging stations. Utilising real-time wind preview information for the gust rejection control of UAVs has become more feasible due to the advancement of remote wind sensing technology such as LiDAR. This work proposes the use of a wind-preview-based Model Predictive Controller (MPC) to utilise remote wind measurements from a LiDAR for disturbance rejection. Here a ground-based LiDAR unit is used to predict the incoming wind disturbance at the takeoff and landing site of an autonomous quadrotor UAV. This preview information is then utilised by an MPC to provide the optimal compensation over the defined horizon. Simulations were conducted with LiDAR data gathered from field tests to verify the efficacy of the proposed system and to test the robustness of the wind-preview-based control. The results show a favourable improvement in the aircraft response to wind gusts with the addition of wind preview to the MPC; An 80% improvement in its position-holding performance combined with reduced rotational rates and peak rotational angles signifying a less aggressive approach to increased performance when compared with only feedback based MPC disturbance rejection. System robustness tests demonstrated a 1.75 s or 120% margin in the gust preview’s timing or strength respectively before adverse performance impact. The addition of wind-preview to an MPC has been shown to increase the gust rejection of UAVs over standard feedback-based MPC thus enabling their precision landing onto docking stations in the presence of wind gusts.en_UK
dc.identifier.citationMendez A, Whidborne J, Chen L. (2023) Wind preview-based model predictive control of multi-rotor UAVs using LiDAR. Sensors, Volume 23, Issue 7, April 2023, Article number 3711en_UK
dc.identifier.issn1424-8220
dc.identifier.urihttps://doi.org/10.3390/s23073711
dc.identifier.urihttps://dspace.lib.cranfield.ac.uk/handle/1826/19496
dc.language.isoenen_UK
dc.publisherMDPIen_UK
dc.rightsAttribution 4.0 International*
dc.rights.urihttp://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/*
dc.subjectMPCen_UK
dc.subjectremote wind sensingen_UK
dc.subjectgust rejectionen_UK
dc.subjectpreview controlen_UK
dc.subjectoptimal controlen_UK
dc.subjectquadrotoren_UK
dc.subjectVTOL aircraften_UK
dc.titleWind preview-based model predictive control of multi-rotor UAVs using LiDARen_UK
dc.typeArticleen_UK

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