Applied fast maneuvering using a hybrid controller

Guidance and control of autonomous vehicles is a difficult and often calculation-intensive process. Current control approaches limit the functionality of autonomous vehicles. The approach applied in this thesis is to use a discrete-state model of the vehicle dynamics to build a hybrid automaton. By creating a set of stable trim states and building a library of maneuvers, the on-line optimization problem was made significantly simpler. The implementation of the control methodology for an autonomous helicopter was expanded to include three-dimensional path planning and pilot-inspired maneuvers. The hybrid controller was then adapted and applied to an unpowered parafoil in simulation. The parafoil hybrid controller was also implemented on a DSP chip and used in a real-time DSP-processor-based simulation of the system. This demonstrated the ability to apply the hybrid controller logic to a variety of vehicles.

Department dc:contributor.department

Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Dept. of Mechanical Engineering.

Grantor dc:publisher

Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Year dc:date.issued

2001

Author dc:creator

• Stanley, Byron M. (Byron McCall), 1977-

Advisor dc:contributor.advisor

• Marc McConley and Jean-Jacques Slotine.

• Mechanical Engineering.

Statement dc:rights

• M.I.T. theses are protected by copyright. They may be viewed from this source for any purpose, but reproduction or distribution in any format is prohibited without written permission. See provided URL for inquiries about permission.

Licence dc:rights.uri

• http://dspace.mit.edu/handle/1721.1/7582

Language dc:language.iso

eng

Handle dc:identifier.uri

http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/8540

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:dspace.mit.edu:1721.1/8540