Addressing the trajectory planning algorithm for autonomous flying UAVs, this study designs a tracking law and an RRT + Dubins path planning method based on differential flatness theory. This paper focuses on a compound path planning method for small fixed-wing aircraft, demonstrating that the system exhibits differential flatness characteristics and defining the flat output space accordingly. On this foundation, a nonlinear guidance law is designed to track the trajectory, enabling the aircraft to follow complex three-dimensional curves in space. This design directly targets the nonlinear model, enhancing tracking accuracy and robustness, making it more suitable for autonomous flight in complex and dynamic environments. By integrating the Rapidly-exploring Random Trees (RRT) algorithm, which efficiently explores random tree structures, with the Dubins path that meets the minimum turning radius constraint of fixed-wing UAVs, this approach identifies safe and feasible trajectories within a known obstacle map. A standalone RRT algorithm fails to meet dynamic constraints; however, combining it with the Dubins curve circumvents the need to solve complex dynamics. According to differential flatness theory, the planning space is simplified into a three-dimensional geometric space, facilitating the trajectory planning of fixed-wing aircraft. Joint simulation analysis verifies the feasibility of this method, demonstrating its capability to achieve autonomous flight for small fixed-wing aircraft.
Differential Flatness-Based Trajectory Planning for Small Fixed-Wing UAVs
Lect. Notes Electrical Eng.
International Conference on Autonomous Unmanned Systems ; 2024 ; Shenyang, China September 19, 2024 - September 21, 2024
Proceedings of 4th 2024 International Conference on Autonomous Unmanned Systems (4th ICAUS 2024) ; Chapter : 34 ; 360-369
2025-04-03
10 pages
Article/Chapter (Book)
Electronic Resource
English