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Introducing DAIMYO: a first-time-right dynamic design architecture and its application to tail-sitter UAS development

Jolan Wauters, Tom Lefebvre, Joris Degroote, Ivo Couckuyt, Guillaume Crevecoeur

Abstract

In recent years, there has been a notable evolution in various multidisciplinary design methodologies for dynamic systems. Among these approaches, a noteworthy concept is that of concurrent conceptual and control design or co-design. This approach involves the tuning of feedforward and/or feedback control strategies in conjunction with the conceptual design of the dynamic system. The primary aim is to discover integrated solutions that surpass those attainable through a disjointed or decoupled approach. This concurrent design paradigm exhibits particular promise in the context of hybrid unmanned aerial systems (UASs), such as tail-sitters, where the objectives of versatility (driven by control considerations) and efficiency (influenced by conceptual design) often present conflicting demands. Nevertheless, a persistent challenge lies in the potential disparity between the theoretical models that underpin the design process and the real-world operational environment, the so-called reality gap. Such disparities can lead to suboptimal performance when the designed system is deployed in reality. To address this issue, this paper introduces DAIMYO, a novel design architecture that incorporates a high-fidelity environment, which emulates real-world conditions, into the procedure in pursuit of a `first-time-right' design. The outcome of this innovative approach is a design procedure that yields versatile and efficient UAS designs capable of withstanding the challenges posed by the reality gap.

Introducing DAIMYO: a first-time-right dynamic design architecture and its application to tail-sitter UAS development

Abstract

In recent years, there has been a notable evolution in various multidisciplinary design methodologies for dynamic systems. Among these approaches, a noteworthy concept is that of concurrent conceptual and control design or co-design. This approach involves the tuning of feedforward and/or feedback control strategies in conjunction with the conceptual design of the dynamic system. The primary aim is to discover integrated solutions that surpass those attainable through a disjointed or decoupled approach. This concurrent design paradigm exhibits particular promise in the context of hybrid unmanned aerial systems (UASs), such as tail-sitters, where the objectives of versatility (driven by control considerations) and efficiency (influenced by conceptual design) often present conflicting demands. Nevertheless, a persistent challenge lies in the potential disparity between the theoretical models that underpin the design process and the real-world operational environment, the so-called reality gap. Such disparities can lead to suboptimal performance when the designed system is deployed in reality. To address this issue, this paper introduces DAIMYO, a novel design architecture that incorporates a high-fidelity environment, which emulates real-world conditions, into the procedure in pursuit of a `first-time-right' design. The outcome of this innovative approach is a design procedure that yields versatile and efficient UAS designs capable of withstanding the challenges posed by the reality gap.
Paper Structure (28 sections, 34 equations, 13 figures, 2 tables, 1 algorithm)

This paper contains 28 sections, 34 equations, 13 figures, 2 tables, 1 algorithm.

Table of Contents

  1. Introduction
  2. First-time-right dynamic design architecture
  3. Outer loop conceptual design
  4. Inner loop trajectory optimization
  5. Inner loop control tuning
  6. Application case: tail-sitter UAS
  7. Rigid body dynamics
  8. High-fidelity aerodynamic model
  9. Low-fidelity aerodynamic model
  10. Feedforward control design
  11. Feedback control design
  12. Implementation and validation
  13. Mission specifications
  14. Conceptual design parameterization
  15. Outer loop conceptual design
  16. ...and 13 more sections

Figures (13)

  • Figure 1: Visualization of the reality gap: closed loop flight trajectories of a low-fidelity (reference) and high fidelity (flown) model with identical reference signals.
  • Figure 2: Simplified XDSM representation of DAIMYO.
  • Figure 3: Body-fixed reference frame and angular motion terminology.
  • Figure 4: Control diagram of the novel cascaded dynamic feedback linearization controller.
  • Figure 5: Parameterization of the tail-sitter.
  • ...and 8 more figures