Adaptive Motion Planning for Safe VTOL Aircraft Landings on Vertically Moving Marine Platforms

This paper presents a methodology for enhancing the safety and reliability of Vertical Take-off and Landing (VTOL) aircraft operations on vertically moving marine platforms, such as ship decks and offshore oil rigs. Building upon prior work that introduced predictive scheduling algorithms for safe landing on such platforms, this study advances the field by integrating prediction-based motion planning with a real-time aircraft bandwidth estimator. Unlike previous approaches that required detailed pre-landing assessments of aircraft dynamics, this method simplifies the implementation process by eliminating the need for prior knowledge of aircraft vertical dynamics and sea-state conditions. The bandwidth estimator dynamically adjusts to environmental variations and operational uncertainties, offering a more adaptive and responsive solution. Furthermore, by anticipating future deck movements, the predictive motion planning component minimizes reliance on rapid, high-risk maneuvers, thereby enhancing safety margins during the critical landing phase. The efficacy of this enhanced approach is validated through comprehensive numerical examples, comparative analyses, and software-in-the-loop simulations using the X-Plane flight simulator. These results demonstrate a significant improvement in operational safety and adaptability compared to traditional methods and earlier scheduling algorithms, marking a substantial progression in the field of VTOL aircraft landings on moving platforms.