According to the present invention there is provided a drone (1) comprising one or more propellers (2) and one or more actuators (3) for actuating said one or more propellers (2) to generating a thrust force which enables the drone (1) to fly; a controller (4) which is configured such that it can control the flight of the drone (1), wherein the controller (4) comprises a memory (6) having stored therein a plurality of predefined sets of positions which define a virtual rail which can be used to guide the flight of the drone (1) so that the drone can avoid collision with an subject; and wherein the controller further comprises a mathematical model (7) of the drone; wherein the controller (4) is configured to control the flight of the drone by performing at least the following steps, (a) approximating a lag error based on the position of the drone (1) measured by a sensor (5) and the virtual rail, wherein the lag error is the distance between a point along the virtual rail which is closest to the drone (1) and an estimate of said point along the virtual rail which is closest to the drone (1); (b) approximating a contour error based on the position of the drone (1) as measured by a sensor (5) and the virtual rail, wherein the contour error is the distance between a point along the virtual rail which is closest to the drone (1) and the position of the drone (1); (c) defining a cost function which comprises at least said approximation of the lag error and said approximation of the contour error; (d) minimizing the defined cost function, while also respecting at least limitations of the drone which are defined in said mathematical model, to determine a plurality of control inputs over a predefined time period into the future, and (e) applying the first control input only to the one or more actuators (3). There is further provided a corresponding method for controlling the flight of a drone.


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    Title :

    A DRONE AND METHOD OF CONTROLLING FLIGHT OF A DRONE


    Additional title:

    DROHNE UND VERFAHREN ZUR STEUERUNG DER FLUGBAHN EINER DROHNE
    UN DRONE ET PROCÉDÉ DE COMMANDE DE VOL D'UN DRONE


    Contributors:

    Publication date :

    2021-05-05


    Type of media :

    Patent


    Type of material :

    Electronic Resource


    Language :

    English


    Classification :

    IPC:    G08G Anlagen zur Steuerung, Regelung oder Überwachung des Verkehrs , TRAFFIC CONTROL SYSTEMS / G05D SYSTEMS FOR CONTROLLING OR REGULATING NON-ELECTRIC VARIABLES , Systeme zum Steuern oder Regeln nichtelektrischer veränderlicher Größen / H04N PICTORIAL COMMUNICATION, e.g. TELEVISION , Bildübertragung, z.B. Fernsehen




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