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Selected papers from the 2nd International Symposium on UAVs, Reno, Nevada, U.S.A. June 8–10, 2009 pp 329–349Cite as

Automating Human Thought Processes for a UAV Forced Landing

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Abstract

This paper describes the current status of a program to develop an automated forced landing system for a fixed-wing Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV). This automated system seeks to emulate human pilot thought processes when planning for and conducting an engine-off emergency landing. Firstly, a path planning algorithm that extends Dubins curves to 3D space is presented. This planning element is then combined with a nonlinear guidance and control logic, and simulated test results demonstrate the robustness of this approach to strong winds during a glided descent. The average path deviation errors incurred are comparable to or even better than that of manned, powered aircraft. Secondly, a study into suitable multi-criteria decision making approaches and the problems that confront the decision-maker is presented. From this study, it is believed that decision processes that utilize human expert knowledge and fuzzy logic reasoning are most suited to the problem at hand, and further investigations will be conducted to identify the particular technique/s to be implemented in simulations and field tests. The automated UAV forced landing approach presented in this paper is promising, and will allow the progression of this technology from the development and simulation stages through to a prototype system.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Australian Research Centre for Aerospace Automation, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, Queensland, 4001, Australia

    Pillar Eng, Luis Mejias, Xi Liu & Rodney Walker

Authors
  1. Pillar Eng
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  2. Luis Mejias
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  3. Xi Liu
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  4. Rodney Walker
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Pillar Eng .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, CMK 300 School of Engineering and Computer Science, University of Denver, Denver, CO, 80208, USA

    Kimon P. Valavanis

  2. Dept. Electrical & Computer Engineering, Brigham Young University, Provo, UT, 84602, USA

    Randal Beard

  3. Applied Engineering Technology Program, Drexel University, 3001 One Drexel Plaza, Market St., Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA

    Paul Oh

  4. Depto. Ingeniera Sistemas y Automática Camino de los Descubrimientos, Universidad de Sevilla Escuela Superior de Ingenieros, s/n 41092, Sevilla, Spain

    Aníbal Ollero

  5. Dept. Computer Science & Engineering, University of South Florida, 4202 E. Fowler Ave., Tampa, FL, 33620, USA

    Leslie A. Piegl

  6. Korea Advanced Institute of Science & Technology (KAIST), Department of Aerospace Engineering, 373-1 Guseong-dong Daejeon 305-701 Yuseong-gu, Republic of South Korea

    Hyunchui Shim

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© 2009 Springer Science + Business Media B.V.

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Eng, P., Mejias, L., Liu, X., Walker, R. (2009). Automating Human Thought Processes for a UAV Forced Landing. In: Valavanis, K.P., Beard, R., Oh, P., Ollero, A., Piegl, L.A., Shim, H. (eds) Selected papers from the 2nd International Symposium on UAVs, Reno, Nevada, U.S.A. June 8–10, 2009. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-90-481-8764-5_17

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-90-481-8764-5_17

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  • Publisher Name: Springer, Dordrecht

  • Print ISBN: 978-90-481-8763-8

  • Online ISBN: 978-90-481-8764-5

  • eBook Packages: EngineeringEngineering (R0)

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