Gains Scheduling for an Adaptive Flight Control System
Professional Drone Operations are complex exercises where many different unfavorable circumstances may appear and endanger the mission's success. An adaptive autopilot capable of changing its internal algorithms to ensure flight safety may be a key factor.
This level of adaptability is acquired using what is commonly known as gain scheduling. Gains are a group of flight dynamics parameters specifically defined for each platform, which makes the UAS (Unmanned Aircraft Systems) behave in a specific and expected manner.
UAV (Unmanned Aerial Vehicles) Navigation flight control computer may load multiple gains settings in the memory. The use of more than one set of gains ('gains banks') allows the control strategy implemented in the layer autopilot to execute an automatic interpolation of gains depending on airspeed or other conditions that the aircraft may face on flight as a large variation in the weight or balance of the aircraft.
This capability helps provide safe and efficient flight control under different and complex conditions. It also allows the aircraft to have a broad flight envelope and operate in multiple configurations during a single flight.
The use of gains scheduling as an adaptive control strategy enables the RPAS (Remotely Piloted Aircraft Systems) to face special requirements as it is the autonomous precision airdrop of supply. During the execution of this maneuver, the aircraft experiences a sudden weight change that modifies the platform's inertia and influences flight control.
Another example of a real gain scheduling use is the on-flight fixed-wing landing selection. UAV Navigation GCS Software allows the operator to select between conventional or net landings during the mission, a decision that makes the flight control computer use the more appropriate set of gains for that approximation. The internal adaptive gains strategy enables the Designated UAS Operator (DUO) to have the flexibility of different landing types, ensuring flight safety.
UAV Navigation works daily to provide our customers with the most innovative and reliable flight controller in the market. Gains scheduling strategy helps our customers face difficult conditions or perform complex maneuvers during the flight, which they already use in real flights and operations.
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