[American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics 53rd AIAA/ASME/ASCE/AHS/ASC Structures, Structural Dynamics and Materials Conference<BR>20th AIAA/ASME/AHS Adaptive Structures Conference<BR>14th AIAA - Honolulu, Hawaii ()] 53rd AIAA/ASME/ASCE/AHS/ASC S

Autonomous unmanned air vehicles (UAVs) are critical to current and future military, civil, and commercial operations. Despite their importance, no previous textbook has accessibly introduced UAVs to students in the engineering, computer, and science disciplines--until now. Small Unmanned Aircraft provides a concise but comprehensive description of the key concepts and technologies underlying the dynamics, control, and guidance of fixed-wing unmanned aircraft, and enables all students with an introductory-level background in controls or robotics to enter this exciting and important area. The a. Read more... Abstract: Provides key concepts and technologies underlying the dynamics, control, and guidance of fixed-wing unmanned aircraft, and enables students with an introductory-level background in controls or robotics to enter this important area. This title explores the essential underlying physics and sensors of unmanned air vehicles problems. Read more... Content: Cover Contents Preface 1 Introduction 1.1 System Architecture 1.2 Design Models 1.3 Design Project 2 Coordinate Frames 2.1 Rotation Matrices 2.2 MAV Coordinate Frames 2.3 Airspeed, Wind Speed, and Ground Speed 2.4 The Wind Triangle 2.5 Differentiation of a Vector 2.6 Chapter Summary 2.7 Design Project 3 Kinematics and Dynamics 3.1 State Variables 3.2 Kinematics 3.3 Rigid-body Dynamics 3.4 Chapter Summary 3.5 Design Project 4 Forces and Moments 4.1 Gravitational Forces 4.2 Aerodynamic Forces and Moments 4.3 Propulsion Forces and Moments 4.4 Atmospheric Disturbances. 4.5 Chapter Summary4.6 Design Project 5 Linear Design Models 5.1 Summary of Nonlinear Equations of Motion 5.2 Coordinated Turn 5.3 Trim Conditions 5.4 Transfer Function Models 5.5 Linear State-space Models 5.6 Reduced-order Modes 5.7 Chapter Summary 5.8 Design Project 6 Autopilot Design Using Successive Loop Closure 6.1 Successive Loop Closure 6.2 Saturation Constraints and Performance 6.3 Lateral-directional Autopilot 6.4 Longitudinal Autopilot 6.5 Digital Implementation of PID Loops 6.6 Chapter Summary 6.7 Design Project 7 Sensors for MAVs 7.1 Accelerometers. 7.2 Rate Gyros7.3 Pressure Sensors 7.4 Digital Compasses 7.5 Global Positioning System 7.6 Chapter Summary 7.7 Design Project 8 State Estimation 8.1 Benchmark Maneuver 8.2 Low-pass Filters 8.3 State Estimation by Inverting the Sensor Model 8.4 Dynamic-observer Theory 8.5 Derivation of the Continuous-discrete Kalman Filter 8.6 Attitude Estimation 8.7 GPS Smoothing 8.8 Chapter Summary 8.9 Design Project 9 Design Models for Guidance 9.1 Autopilot Model 9.2 Kinematic Model of Controlled Flight 9.3 Kinematic Guidance Models 9.4 Dynamic Guidance Model 9.5 Chapter Summary. 9.6 Design Project10 Straight-line and Orbit Following 10.1 Straight-line Path Following 10.2 Orbit Following 10.3 Chapter Summary 10.4 Design Project 11 Path Manager 11.1 Transitions Between Waypoints 11.2 Dubins Paths 11.3 Chapter Summary 11.4 Design Project 12 Path Planning 12.1 Point-to-Point Algorithms 12.2 Coverage Algorithms 12.3 Chapter Summary 12.4 Design Project 13 Vision-guided Navigation 13.1 Gimbal and Camera Frames and Projective Geometry 13.2 Gimbal Pointing 13.3 Geolocation 13.4 Estimating Target Motion in the Image Plane 13.5 Time to Collision. 13.6 Precision Landing13.7 Chapter Summary 13.8 Design Project APPENDIX A: Nomenclature and Notation APPENDIX B: Quaternions B.1 Quaternion Rotations B.2 Aircraft Kinematic and Dynamic Equations B.3 Conversion Between Euler Angles and Quaternions APPENDIX C: Animations in Simulink C.1 Handle Graphics in Matlab C.2 Animation Example: Inverted Pendulum C.3 Animation Example: Spacecraft Using Lines C.4 Animation Example: Spacecraft Using Vertices and Faces APPENDIX D: Modeling in Simulink Using S-Functions D.1 Example: Second-order Differential Equation. Autonomous unmanned air vehicles (UAVs) are critical to current and future military, civil, and commercial operations. Despite their importance, no previous textbook has accessibly introduced UAVs to students in the engineering, computer, and science disciplines—until now. Small Unmanned Aircraft provides a concise but comprehensive description of the key concepts and technologies underlying the dynamics, control, and guidance of fixed-wing unmanned aircraft, and enables all students with an introductory-level background in controls or robotics to enter this exciting and important area. The authors explore the essential underlying physics and sensors of UAV problems, including low-level autopilot for stability and higher-level autopilot functions of path planning. The textbook leads the student from rigid-body dynamics through aerodynamics, stability augmentation, and state estimation using onboard sensors, to maneuvering through obstacles. To facilitate understanding, the authors have replaced traditional homework assignments with a simulation project using the MATLAB/Simulink environment. Students begin by modeling rigid-body dynamics, then add aerodynamics and sensor models. They develop low-level autopilot code, extended Kalman filters for state estimation, path-following routines, and high-level path-planning algorithms. The final chapter of the book focuses on UAV guidance using machine vision. Designed for advanced undergraduate or graduate students in engineering or the sciences, this book offers a bridge to the aerodynamics and control of UAV flight.