UAV Tracking Servo Design and Simulation Validation for Guidance Application

Abstract

This chapter describes structure and design validation of a robust PID controller for path planning of an Unmanned Aerial Vehicle. This is the outermost loop of mission planning algorithm which has to track the pre described planned path with minimum tracking error. Tracking being kinematic in nature is based on servomechanism principle. Output of this loop is demanded acceleration as vehicle guidance command. This command is tracked by the autopilot as inner loop through aerodynamic or thrust vector control depending on mission phase. Present research is focused on evolving servo controller topology of outer loop for kinematic tracking to generate demanded acceleration based on available sensor measurements. Present system has been designed based on PID concept which has been arrived at based on a) pole placement and b) LQR techniques. Obviously LQR design gives maximum robustness.  Ultimately robustness study in presence of actuator is based on classical framework with proper gain margin and phase margin. Whole design has been validated through three dimensional trajectory tracking simulation.