Implementation and Flight Test Results of MILP-based UAV Guidance

This paper discusses the implementation of a guidance system based on mixed integer linear programming (MILP) on a modified, autonomous T-33 aircraft equipped with Boeing's UCAV avionics package. A receding horizon MILP formulation is presented for safe, real-time trajectory generation in a partially-known, cluttered environment. Safety at all times is guaranteed by constraining the intermediate trajectories to terminate in a loiter pattern that does not intersect with any no-fly zones and can always be used as a safe backup plan. Details about the real-time software implementation using CPLEX and Boeing's OCP platform are given. A test scenario developed for the DARPA-sponsored software enabled control capstone demonstration is outlined, and simulation and flight test results are presented