Sistemas de navegação e controle para veículos aéreos não tripulados e suas aplicações

Abstract

This thesis proposes navigation and control systems for application with a small size unmanned aerial vehicles, widely accessible nowadays. The focus is on the application of techniques with a simplified implementation and efficient experimental results, respecting the limitations of the equipment used. The proposed systems are tested in different flight missions including tasks of positioning, trajectory tracking and robot formation control, which are conducted in varying flight conditions in both indoor and outdoor environments. For contextualization of the topics addressed, initially the terminology adopted and the general concepts on the operation of a modern aerial vehicle are presented, emphasizing its integration with an autopilot. Next, a simplified mathematical model is proposed as a representation of the movements of the vehicle from which automatic control systems are derived. In parallel, the techniques of sensory data fusion used in the navigation systems are presented, explaining the treatment applied for control feedback purposes. Throughout the chapters, several experiments are discussed in order to evaluate the proposed systems and conclude their efficiency in solving the problems addressed in this work. Finally, the conclusions and some possibilities of future applications are highlighted.