Multiple-Scenario Unmanned Aerial System Control: A Systems Engineering Approach and Review of Existing Control Methods

• Main Authors: Christopher M. Eaton, Edwin K. P. Chong, Anthony A. Maciejewski
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: MDPI AG 2016-01-01
• Series: Aerospace
• Subjects: Unmanned Aerial System (UAS); autonomous systems; UAS control; path planning; system architecture; Multi-UAS control; collision avoidance; multi-scenario UAS control
• Online Access: http://www.mdpi.com/2226-4310/3/1/1

The use of unmanned aerial systems (UASs) in both the public and military environments is predicted to grow significantly. As the demand for UASs grows, the availability of more robust and capable vehicles that can perform multiple mission types will be needed. In the public sector, the demand will grow for UASs to be used for agriculture, forestry, and search and rescue missions. Militaries continue to demand more UAS capabilities for diverse operations around the world. Significant research has been performed and continues to progress in the areas of autonomous UAS control. A majority of the work focuses on subsets of UAS control: path planning, autonomy, small UAS controls, and sensors. Minimal work exists on a system-level problem of multiple-scenario UAS control for integrated systems. This paper provides a high-level modular system architecture definition that is modifiable across platform types and mission requirements. A review of the current research and employment of UAS capabilities is provided to evaluate the state of the capabilities required to enable the proposed architecture.