Path-following control for fixed-wing unmanned aerial vehicles based on a virtual target

Abstract

The main contribution of this article is the proposal of a path-following method for fixed-wing unmanned aerial vehicles. This path-following method employs the multi-loop framework that consists of an outer guidance loop and an inner control loop. The guidance loop relies on the idea of tracking a virtual target. The virtual target is assumed to travel along the defined path and its speed is explicitly specified. This guidance law guarantees the asymptotic convergence to the desired path and can anticipate the transition of the flight path in advance, which reduces the command for the inner control loop. In the inner control loop, the flight control law based on dynamic surface control is derived to overcome the ‘explosion of complexity’ problem in the backstepping design. The numerical simulation result illustrates the effectiveness of the proposed method.