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1. Modeling and Identification of Coupled Translational and Rotational Motion of Underactuated Indoor Miniature Autonomous Blimps

   https://doi.org/10.1109/ICARCV50220.2020.9305371  

   Tao, Qiuyang ; Hou, Mengxue ; Zhang, Fumin ( December 2020 , 16th International Conference on Control, Automation, Robotics and Vision (ICARCV))

   null (Ed.)

   Swing oscillation is widely observed among indoor miniature autonomous blimps (MABs) due to their underactuated design and unique aerodynamic shape. A detailed dynamics model is critical for investigating this undesired movement and designing controllers to stabilize the oscillation. This paper presents a motion model that describes the coupled translational and rotational movements of a typical indoor MAB with saucer- shaped envelope. The kinematics and dynamic model of the MAB are simplified from the six-degrees-of-freedom (6-DOF) Newton–Euler equations of underwater vehicles. The model is then reduced to 3-DOF given the symmetrical design of the MAB around its vertical axis. Parameters of the motion model are estimated from the system identification experiments, and validated with experimental data. 

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2. A Deep Learning Approach to Localization for Navigation on a Miniature Autonomous Blimp

   https://doi.org/10.1109/ICCA51439.2020.9264514  

   Seguin, Landan ; Zheng, Justin ; Li, Alberto ; Tao, Qiuyang ; Zhang, Fumin ( October 2020 , IEEE International Conference on Control and Automation (ICCA))

   null (Ed.)

   The Georgia Tech Miniature Autonomous Blimp (GT-MAB) needs localization algorithms to navigate to way-points in an indoor environment without leveraging an external motion capture system. Indoor aerial robots often require a motion capture system for localization or employ simultaneous localization and mapping (SLAM) algorithms for navigation. The proposed strategy for GT-MAB localization can be accomplished using lightweight sensors on a weight-constrained platform like the GT-MAB. We train an end-to-end convolutional neural network (CNN) that predicts the horizontal position and heading of the GT-MAB using video collected by an onboard monocular RGB camera. On the other hand, the height of the GT-MAB is estimated from measurements through a time-of-flight (ToF) single-beam laser sensor. The monocular camera and the single-beam laser sensor are sufficient for the localization algorithm to localize the GT-MAB in real time, achieving the averaged 3D positioning errors to be less than 20 cm, and the averaged heading errors to be less than 3 degrees. With the accuracy of our proposed localization method, we are able to use simple proportional-integral-derivative controllers to control the GT-MAB for waypoint navigation. Experimental results on the waypoint following are provided, which demonstrates the use of a CNN as the primary localization method for estimating the pose of an indoor robot that successfully enables navigation to specified waypoints. 

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3. A New Vibrational Control System in Nature: Flapping Flight

   Taha, H ; Kiani, M ( January 2019 , AIAA SciTech)

   Vibrational control is an open loop stabilization technique via the application of highamplitude, high-frequency oscillatory inputs. The averaging theory has been the standard technique for designing vibrational control systems. However, it stipulates too high oscillation frequency that may not be practically feasible. Therefore, although vibrational control is very robust and elegant (stabilization without feedback), it is rarely used in practical applications. The only well-known example is the Kapitza pendulum; an inverted pendulum shose pivot is subject to vertical oscillation. the unstable equilibrium of the inverted pendulum gains asymptotic stability due to the high-frequency oscillation of the pivot. In this paper, we provide a new vibrational control system from Nature; flapping flight dynamics. Flapping flight is a rich dynamical system as a representative model will typically be nonlinear, time-varying, multi-body, multi-time-scale dynamical system. Over the last two decades, using direct averaging, there has been consensus in the flapping flight dynamics community that insects are unstable at the hovering equilibrium due to the lack of pitch stiffness. In this work, we perform higher-order averaging of the time-periodic dynamics of flapping flight to show a vibrational control mechanism due to the oscillation of the driving aerodynamic forces. We also experimentally demonstrate such a phenomenon on a flapping apparatus that has two degrees of freedom: forward translation and pitching motion. It is found that the time-periodic dynamics of the flapping micro-air-vehicle is naturally (without feedback) stabilized beyond a certain threshold. Moreover, if the averaged aerodynamic thrust force is produced by a propeller revolving at a constant speed while maintaining the wings stationary at their mean positions, no stabilization is observed. Hence, it is concluded that the observed stabilization in the flapping system at high frequencies is due to the oscillation of the driving aerodynamic force and, as such, flapping flight indeed enjoys vibrational stabilization. 

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4. Design, Modeling, and Analysis of Inductive Resonant Coupling Wireless Power Transfer for Micro Aerial Vehicles (MAVs)

   https://doi.org/10.1109/ICRA.2018.8461162  

   Plaizier, Gregory M. ; Andersen, Erik ; Truong, Binh ; He, Xiang ; Roundy, Shad ; Leang, Kam K. ( May 2018 , 2018 IEEE International Conference on Robotics and Automation (ICRA))

   This paper presents the design, modeling, analysis, and experimental validation of an inductive resonant wireless power transfer (WPT) system to power a micro aerial vehicle (MAV). Using WPT, in general, enables longer flight times, virtually eliminates the need for batteries, and minimizes down time for recharging or replacing batteries. The proposed WPT system consists of a transmit coil, which can either be fixed to ground or placed on a mobile platform, and a receive coil carried by the MAV. The details of the WPT circuit design are presented. A power-transfer model is developed for the two-coil system, where the model is used to select suitable coil geometries to maximize the power received by the MAV for hovering. Analysis, simulation, and experimental results are presented to demonstrate the effectiveness of the WPT circuitry. Finally, a wirelessly powered MAV that hovers above the transmit coil is demonstrated in a laboratory setting. 

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5. A CAMERA AND RANGE SENSOR FUSION APPROACH FOR AUTONOMOUS NAVIGATION SYSTEMS DRIVEN BY ROBUST ADAPTIVE CONTROL

   Peck, Caleb ( February 2022 , 44th annual AAS Guidance, Navigation and Control Conference)

   An integrated sensing approach that fuses vision and range information to land an autonomous class 1 unmanned aerial system (UAS) controlled by e-modification model reference adaptive control is presented. The navigation system uses a feature detection algorithm to locate features and compute the corresponding range vectors on a coarsely instrumented landing platform. The relative translation and rotation state is estimated and sent to the flight computer for control feedback. A robust adaptive control law that guarantees uniform ultimate boundedness of the adaptive gains in the presence of bounded external disturbances is used to control the flight vehicle. Experimental flight tests are conducted to validate the integration of these systems and measure the quality of result from the navigation solution. Robustness of the control law amidst flight disturbances and hardware failures is demonstrated. The research results demonstrate the utility of low-cost, low-weight navigation solutions for navigation of small, autonomous UAS to carryout littoral proximity operations about unprepared shipdecks. 

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