Guidance and Control of Autonomous, Flexible Wing UAV with Advanced Vision System

This paper presents a new methodology to guide and control flexible wings UAV based on a stereo vision system with advanced fuzzy logic algorithms. This system allows to detect wing's deflections and shapes by using the novel Deflection-Detection Vision System (DDVS). This methodology has three different steps. First, the shape of the wing was identified by the determinant the deflection points on the wing using the stereo camera. Second, the fuzzy logic algorithm was used to classify the shapes of the wing and to determine the flight parameters such as, speed, angle of attack and roll angle. Finally, an autopilot controller based on intelligent, Adaptive Neuro-Fuzzy Inference System (ANFIS) algorithm was designed. Extensive, experimental studies were performed in wind tunnel to determine the characteristics of the flexible wing. The testing were performed for wind speeds ranging from 11 to 31 km/h, angles of attack ranging from -20 deg to +20 deg. The experimental results were extended and verified with simulation experiments for wider ranges of velocities and angle of attack.