Innovative Control Technologies for Autonomous Highly Agile and Extreme-Performance

Aerial Vehicles

Name:
Daniel Schrage
Address:
School of Aerospace Engineering

Georgia Institute of Technology

City, State Zip:
Atlanta, GA 30332-0150
Phone:
(404) 894-6257
Fax:
(404) 894-2760
Email:
daniel.schrage@ae.gatech.edu
Level Of Participation - Billed:
8%
Level Of Participation - Unbilled:
38%

Name:
George Vachtsevanos
Address:
School of Electrical & Computer Engineering

Georgia Institute of Technology

City, State Zip:
Atlanta, GA 30332-0250
Phone:
(404) 894-6252
Fax:
(404) 894-7583
Email:
george.vachtsevanos@ee.gatech.edu
Level Of Participation - Billed:
3%
Level Of Participation - Unbilled:
35%
Objective:

The objective of this project is to develop innovative controls technology to achieve autonomous flight
for high agility, extreme performance aerial vehicles and to develop an open, plug-and-play software
platform to enable the on-line customization and interoperability of new control algorithms. Uninhabited
Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) that are capable of extreme performance under complex and changing mission
scenarios require intelligent attributes such as fault-tolerance, adaptation and learning. Software
architectures needed to support controls technology with these features must be capable of plug-and-play
of control algorithms, rapid on-line algorithm reconfiguration, and distributed real-time computing. The
specific objectives of the project are to develop innovative mid-level control algorithms for mode
transitioning and fault accommodation that are customizable and reconfigurable during flight, to develop
a limit avoidance methodology so that the vehicle does not exceed its structural limits during extreme
maneuvers, and to develop a first generation Open Control Platform (OCP) to support this new controls
technology in an intelligent hierarchical architecture.

Approach:

The approach is to use a hierarchical control architecture where mission planning and situation awareness
are at the highest level, the flight control (including stability control augmentation) is at the lowest level,
and a mid-level controller coordinates the transitions between modes and provides fault-tolerant
reconfigurable control. The flexible integration of these dynamic control system components and their
reconfiguration and customization during flight are enabled by an underlying Open Control Platform.
<p>
New mode transitioning and fault tolerant control (FTC) algorithms are being developed to allow the
vehicle to perform smoothly and stably when conditions approach the outer bounds of the flight envelope
and to accommodate fault modes without compromising the integrity of the vehicle. For mode
transitioning, a new design methodology is employed that uses numerical optimization, optimum
controller blending strategies, and an adaptive neuro-fuzzy construct, combined with robustness and
stability analysis methods. The control adaptation algorithms will be customized on-line during flight to
accommodate changing vehicle conditions. The FTC algorithms use a novel component-based modeling
technique that maps physical states of the components onto operational or functional states. This model
consists of individual component (“subsystems”) dynamics whose interactions are represented by an
interconnection structure. This facilitates fault propagation and isolation and leads to optimum
reconfiguration routines to control the impaired vehicle for the duration of the emergency.
<p>
The mid-level controller also contains an automatic limit prediction and avoidance controller, which
guarantees that the vehicle will not exceed its structural limit boundaries even during extreme maneuvers.
The method involves prediction of the future quasi-steady maneuvering response (limit parameter values)
of the vehicle for a given flight condition and control inputs using the dynamic trim procedure. The
automatic limit avoidance involves computing critical control margins using the limit parameter
predictions in order to provide for artificial control limits and/or to provide for command limiting so as to
avoid impending envelope limits in an automated mode of operation.
<p>
The innovative aspects of these mid-level control algorithms are enabled by the OCP, which forms the
underlying software infrastructure integrating them. The OCP supports real-time communication and
interoperability among distributed components and on-line reconfigurability for rapid response to changes
in the mission, flight mode, or operational conditions. The OCP builds on and extends new advances in
real-time middleware (Real-Time CORBA) technology, and uses a publish-subscribe model of
communication. This tends to localize architectural or configuration changes so that they can be made
quickly and with high reliability.
<p>
A key motivation for developing the Open Control Platform is to raise the conceptual level at which a
controls engineer integrates components of complex, distributed, and reconfigurable control systems.
Rather than programming at the level of network protocols, sockets, memory byte orderings, and remote
procedure calls, the OCP provides an abstract interface based on familiar controls engineering concepts,
such as block diagram components, input and output ports, and signals (e.g., measurement or command
signals). The OCP consists of a core real-time distributed computing substrate based on Boeing's
BoldStroke, wrapped with a Controls API layer that bridges the gap between the controls domain and the
core distribution substrate. This Controls API will support hybrid control requirements. A first generation
"alpha-OCP" (or Build1 Prototype) has been developed and released to support the integration and rapid
run-time reconfiguration of complex control systems.
<p>
These innovative controls and software technologies will be demonstrated on a Vertical Takeoff and
Landing (VTOL) UAV, the Yamaha R-50/RMAX helicopter, using hardware-in-the-loop and integrated
distributed simulation, along with selective flight test demonstration.

Recent Accomplishments:

Developed and released the Build1 Prototype Open Control Platform (which was also known as the
“alpha-OCP” or the First Generation Mid-Level OCP), through the Boeing-St. Louis CITIS web site
(https://www.citis.mdc.com). Software and documentation, including several working examples and
step-by-step tutorials, are available through CITIS which will facilitate future incremental releases and
transition to future builds.
<p>
Integrated within the alpha-OCP the low-level flight control algorithms and the some of the mid-level
mode transitioning and fault detection and identification control algorithms developed in the SEC
program. Evaluated through simulation of the R-50/RMAX hardware/software system.
<p>
Completed a paper on the OCP as a software infrastructure for reconfigurable control systems, which was
presented as a regular paper at the American Controls Conference (ACC 2000) in Chicago this past June.
An expanded version of this paper is currently under review for the IEEE Control Systems Magazine.
<p>
Conducted flight trials of the OCP using an X-cell helicopter testbed using a 486 flight control computer,
running the Linux operating system. Successfully tested the dynamic reconfiguration and distributed
communication features of the OCP. The basic mission of the X-cell was to obtain telemetry data and
communicated it to the ground computer in real time, at rates that could be varied by the user on the
ground. Results will be presented at the 19th AIAA Digital Avionics Systems Conference (DASC 2000) in
October in Philadelphia.
<p>
An adaptation scheme was developed for the online customization of mode transition controllers
designed off-line. The adaptation scheme was illustrated for a hover to forward flight mode transition
control of a helicopter encountering parametric changes and wind disturbances. The results will be
presented at 8th IEEE Mediterranean Conference on Control & Automation and the 19th Digital Avionics
Systems Conference. Other results on the mode transitioning are outlined in a PhD thesis on this topic
completed during this past year.
<p>
Developed and simulated a mid-level FTC redistribution controller for a laboratory prototype system
consisting of mechanical, electrical, and fluid components. This prototype is being used to illustrate
generic aspects of the component-based modeling approach and hierarchical FTC routine. The results of
this work will be presented at the 19th AIAA Digital Avionics Systems Conference, Oct. 2000.
<p>
Improvements to the low-level controller reconfiguration and its functionality were made. Various flight
controller modes were formulated for performing extreme maneuvers. Switching from one mode to
another was accomplished through flight controller reconfiguration on the fly. Initial simulation
evaluations were performed for barrel roll maneuvers by switching back and forth between velocity
command control and rate command control architecture schemes. Also, some reconfiguration strategies
for switching to RPM control were further investigated as a control allocation problem.
<p>
The limit prediction and avoidance controller has been developed using a neural network approach.
Simulation evaluations of the method have been successfully carried on a helicopter model.
<p>
As part of a NASA/AHS/industry student design competition for a rotorcraft to operate on Mars, a flight
mission/computer architecture was developed using the OCP. A small quad rotor hobby helicopter, the
Roswell Flyer, was purchased and modified as a testbed to understand the modeling and flight control
systems requirements for design the autonomous flight control system using the OCP architecture.
<p>
Current Plan:

Identify generic reconfiguration mechanisms that are applicable to hybrid systems and migrate these
generic mechanisms from the current application into the OCP Controls API so that they can be reused
across hybrid systems applications.
<p>
Develop automated support for OCP code generation, based on specifications of communication needs
and information about the component distribution topology. This will allow control engineers to use the
OCP effectively and efficiently without having to understand details of how the distributed
communication substrate is implemented.
<p>
For mode transitioning, use active models to customize on-line the control adaptation strategies so that
changing vehicle conditions can be accommodated more quickly.
<p>
Develop on-line customization methods and controller adaptation algorithms for fault-tolerant control.
Test and validate under simulation conditions.
<P>
Develop automatic limit avoidance schemes to constrain the vehicle response within the operational
performance boundaries during extreme and rapid maneuvering of the vehicle.
<P>
Integrate within the first generation OCP the low-level flight control algorithms and the mid-level fault
tolerant and mode transitioning control algorithms developed in the seedling program. Evaluate through
simulation of the R-50/RMAX hardware/software system.
<p>
Extend the reconfiguration management and dynamic scheduling capabilities of the OCP. Define an OCP
API, which provides abstractions relevant to the controls domain, and make the OCP available to other
SEC researchers. Transition to the next generation OCP, providing requirements and experience gained
in experimental application of the first generation mid-level OCP.

Technology Transition:

The Open Control Platform is being developed specifically to serve as a public-domain software
infrastructure that will be available for technology insertion by other control system developers. In close
collaboration with Boeing Phantom Works, this first generation OCP will be transitioned to the next
generation OCP. The innovative control algorithms and methodologies being enabled by the OCP are
generic in nature and are applicable to a variety of dynamic systems.