Development of the robust navigation system without the GNSS by using the air-data sensors under downwash and low-speed conditions for autonomous helicopters

2019 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 17K14613
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Young Scientists (B)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Research Field: Dynamics/Control
• Research Institution: Chiba University
• Principal Investigator: Fujiwara Daigo 千葉大学, 大学院工学研究院, 助教 (60604642)
• Project Period (FY): 2017-04-01 – 2020-03-31
• Keywords: エア・データ・センサ / 対気速度 / 小型無人ヘリ

Outline of Final Research Achievements

To prevent the divergence of the GNSS/INS navigation system under the GNSS-denied condition which is widely used for small helicopters, this research aims at the improvement of the robustness of the navigation system by development of the airspeed sensor (air-data sensor, ADS) and the airspeed sensor-based navigation system. The symmetric Pitot tube with a bellmouth and two-dimensional ultrasonic sensors, and the three-dimensional ultrasonic sensors are developed. The helicopter downwash model is designed based on the physical model or the artificial neural networks, and the ADS/GNSS/INS integrated navigation filter including the downwash model is developed. It is verified that the stability of the navigation and the flight control system is able to be maintained for a moment during the GNSS-denied state by the proposed method through the simulations and the flight tests.

Free Research Field

飛行制御

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

物資輸送、災害対応、空撮等への無人ヘリコプタの適用・実用化に向け研究開発や実証が進む中で、耐空性の向上が求められ、自機位置・速度を算出する航法について、GNSSのみに頼る状況を改善する試みが行われるようになってきた。様々な手法が検討される中で、本研究で開発した対気速度センサに基づく航法は、測距センサやカメラによる手法に対し、周囲の明るさや物体との位置関係による性能劣化がなく、飛行場所によらず利用できる点で、無人ヘリのロバスト性や安全性の向上に寄与し、無人ヘリ関連産業の活性化への貢献が期待される。