| Sol No.: |
Navy SBIR FY2010.2 |
| Topic No.: |
N102-172 |
| Topic Title: |
Advanced Flight Controls for Ultra-agile Small Unmanned Air Vehicles |
| Proposal No.: |
N102-172-0604 |
| Firm: |
Lite Machines Corp
1291 Cumberland Ave #H
West Lafayette, Indiana 47906-1385 |
| Contact: |
Paul Arlton |
| Phone: |
(765) 463-0959 |
| Web Site: |
http://www.litemachines.com |
| Abstract: |
The proposed research will explore innovative flight control methodologies combining recent advances in system identification, novel flight sensors, and neural network based adaptive flight control design to develop a new, high bandwidth flight controller architecture capable of rejecting the disturbing effects of wind gusts and turbulence. The proposed controller architecture will be most appropriate for small rotary-wing VTOL UAVs weighing less than about 70 kg (150 lbs.) and having a hover flight mode in which the rotor(s) primarily produce a lifting force and a forward flight mode where the rotor(s) primarily produce a thrust force. |
| Benefits: |
The proposed architecture will improve the stationkeeping and flight trajectory tracking of small, agile, UAVs in a maritime environment. The controller would increase the effectiveness of UAVs for ISR missions in urban or other environments that are subject to wind gusts and turbulent conditions. |