Related papers: Computing feasible trajectories for constrained ma…
We propose a method to generate robust and optimal trajectories for the transition of a tiltwing Vertical Take-Off and Landing (VTOL) aircraft leveraging concepts from convex optimisation, tube-based nonlinear Model Predictive Control (MPC)…
This article presents a three-dimensional nonlinear trajectory tracking control strategy for unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) in the presence of spatial constraints. As opposed to many existing control strategies, which do not consider…
We solve the minimum-thrust optimal trajectory generation problem for the transition of a tiltwing Vertical Take-Off and Landing (VTOL) aircraft using convex optimisation. The method is based on a change of differential operator that allows…
Approximate dynamic programming has been investigated and used as a method to approximately solve optimal regulation problems. However, the extension of this technique to optimal tracking problems for continuous time nonlinear systems has…
Recent low-thrust space missions have highlighted the importance of designing trajectories that are robust against uncertainties. In its complete form, this process is formulated as a nonlinear constrained stochastic optimal control…
In this paper we study the problem of designing periodic orbits for a special class of hybrid systems, namely mechanical systems with underactuated continuous dynamics and impulse events. We approach the problem by means of optimal control.…
We propose a sampling-based trajectory optimization methodology for constrained problems. We extend recent works on stochastic search to deal with box control constraints,as well as nonlinear state constraints for discrete dynamical…
Many robotic systems are underactuated, meaning not all degrees of freedom can be directly controlled due to lack of actuators, input constraints, or state-dependent actuation. This property, compounded by modeling uncertainties and…
Iterative trajectory optimization techniques for non-linear dynamical systems are among the most powerful and sample-efficient methods of model-based reinforcement learning and approximate optimal control. By leveraging time-variant local…
In this paper we present a maneuver regulation scheme for Vertical Take-Off and Landing (VTOL) micro aerial vehicles (MAV). Differently from standard trajectory tracking, maneuver regulation has an intrinsic robustness due to the fact that…
In this paper, the trajectory planning problem for autonomous rendezvous and docking between a controlled spacecraft and a tumbling target is addressed. The use of a variable planning horizon is proposed in order to construct an appropriate…
In this paper, a novel design scheme is introduced to solve the optimal control problem for nonlinear systems with unsymmetrical and state-dependent input constraints. By introducing an initial stabilizing control policy as the baseline of…
This paper presents a method for incorporating control analysis into design optimization for highly-maneuverable aircraft. By studying reachable sets for aircraft dynamics, we ensure that the optimizer will take the aircraft's controlled…
Agile quadrotor flight relies on rapidly planning and accurately tracking time-optimal trajectories, a technology critical to their application in the wild. However, the computational burden of computing time-optimal trajectories based on…
We investigate optimal control of dynamical systems which are affine, i.e., linear in control, but nonlinear in state. The control task is to enforce the system state to follow a prescribed desired trajectory as closely as possible, a task…
This work develops a unified optimal control framework for a Quadrotor Biplane tailsitter UAV capable of operating seamlessly across hover, transition, and cruise flight regimes. Although the tailsitter configuration enables mechanically…
Fixed-wing vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) aircraft pose a unique control challenge that stems from complex aerodynamic interactions between wings and rotors. Thus, accurate estimation of external forces is indispensable for achieving…
The paper considers a motion control problem for kinematic models of nonholonomic wheeled systems. The class of maneuverable wheeled systems is defined consisting of systems that can follow any sufficiently smooth non-stop trajectory on the…
This paper is based on a crucial issue in the aviation world: how to optimize the trajectory and controls given to the aircraft in order to optimize flight time and fuel consumption. This study aims to provide elements of a response to this…
This paper presents a flight control design for compound Vertical Takeoff and Landing (VTOL) vehicles. With their multitude of degrees of controllability as well as the significant variations in their flight characteristics, VTOL vehicles…