Controller design for a morphing, perching aircraft

Allen Hurst; Ephrahim Garcia

doi:10.1117/12.880610

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2 May 2011 Controller design for a morphing, perching aircraft

Allen Hurst, Ephrahim Garcia

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Proceedings Volume 7977, Active and Passive Smart Structures and Integrated Systems 2011; 79771L (2011) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.880610
Event: SPIE Smart Structures and Materials + Nondestructive Evaluation and Health Monitoring, 2011, San Diego, California, United States

Abstract

This article compares two feedback compensator strategies for the task of guiding a morphing aircraft along a perching trajectory. The aircraft model includes novel, actuated degrees of freedom that allow for bulk movement of some airframe structures. This morphing ability allows the aircraft to perform maneuvers in a manner similar to some birds. The control methods compared in this article are a multi-stage compensator and a linear quadratic regulator. Simulations test the effectiveness of the compensators for initial state error and a trajectory disturbance. In these simulations the linear quadratic regulator outperforms the multi-stage compensator by repeatedly producing smaller state errors and by having lower error standard deviations.

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Allen Hurst and Ephrahim Garcia "Controller design for a morphing, perching aircraft", Proc. SPIE 7977, Active and Passive Smart Structures and Integrated Systems 2011, 79771L (2 May 2011); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.880610

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