Unmanned helicopters in recent years have gained much attention due to their potential in both civil as well as military applications. Helicopter is an inherently unstable system. As a result there is a growing need of developing a control structure that allows the helicopter to perform various applications while remaining stable throughout the flight. This thesis presents developments of a robust controller for the vertical channel of an unmanned helicopter while carrying and dropping a payload. In addition, a simulation platform is developed in Simulink that uses a nonlinear six degree of freedom helicopter model. Quantitative Feedback Theory, a frequency domain technique, is used to design a controller that meets specific performance criteria when uncertainties associated with different payload weights exist in the system. The controller performance is examined in simulation for an Xcell 60 helicopter for effective lifting and dropping of up to 10 lb payload. The performance is then compared with a traditional Proportional-Integral-Derivative controller. Further, the effect of actuator dynamics on the controller performance is also evaluated. Finally, a controller that is robust in minimizing the effect of actuator dynamics and the payload drop while keeping the helicopter stable in flight is designed.

International Telemetering Conference Proceedings / October 18-21, 2004 / Town & Country Resort, San Diego, California / This paper discusses the design and implementation of the base station telemetry data processing system for the unmanned helicopter. The system designed is composed of code synchronizer, decoding and frame synchronizer as well as PCI bus interface. The functions of the system are implemented with very large integrated circuits and a standard PCI inserted card that is compact and easy to install. The result of flight performance tests shows that the system is reliable and can satisfy the requirements of telemetry system for unmanned helicopters.

Research has presented several approaches to achieve varying degrees of fault-tolerance in unmanned aircraft. Approaches in reconfigurable flight control are generally divided into two categories: those which incorporate multiple non-adaptive controllers and switch between them based on the output of a fault detection and identification element and those that employ a single adaptive controller capable of compensating for a variety of fault modes. Regardless of the approach for reconfigurable flight control, certain fault modes dictate system restructuring in order to prevent a catastrophic failure. System restructuring enables active control of actuation not employed by the nominal system to recover controllability of the aircraft. After system restructuring, continued operation requires the generation of flight paths that adhere to an altered flight envelope. The control architecture developed in this research employs a multi-tiered hierarchy to allow unmanned aircraft to generate and track safe flight paths despite the occurrence of potentially catastrophic faults. The hierarchical architecture increases the level of autonomy of the system by integrating five functionalities with the baseline system: fault detection and identification, active system restructuring, reconfigurable flight control, reconfigurable path planning, and mission adaptation. Fault detection and identification algorithms continually monitor aircraft performance and issue fault declarations. When the severity of a fault exceeds the capability of the baseline flight controller, active system restructuring expands the controllability of the aircraft using unconventional control strategies not exploited by the baseline controller. Each of the reconfigurable flight controllers and the baseline controller employ a proven adaptive neural network control strategy. A reconfigurable path planner employs an adaptive model of the vehicle to re-shape the desired flight path. Generation of the revised flight path is posed as a linear program constrained by the response of the degraded system. Finally, a mission adaptation component estimates limitations on the closed-loop performance of the aircraft and adjusts the aircraft mission accordingly. A combination of simulation and flight test results using two unmanned helicopters validates the utility of the hierarchical architecture.

<p>Den senaste trenden inom flygvapenindustrin är utveckling av obemannade farkoster. Den svenska vapenindustrikoncernen Saab AB följer denna trend i och med den stundande introduktionen av företagets obemannade helikopter Skeldar V-150. Som ett led i vidareutvecklingen av detta system finns planer på att även lansera en marin variant, kallad Skeldar M. Tanken med denna marina variant är att möjliggöra fullständigt autonoma starter och landningar från fartyg. För att kunna genomföra detta på ett tryggt sätt även i hårt väder krävs att helikoptern hålls säkrad på fartygsdäcket såväl innan start som efter landning.</p><p>Uppgiften för detta arbete har varit att ta fram koncept för hur ett sådant säkringssystem skulle kunna se ut. För att ta fram idéer för dessa koncept har en flitigt brukad produktutvecklingsmetod använts. Metoden innebär att en kravspecifikation tas fram utifrån kundens behov. Med stöd av den genereras sedan ett antal produktkoncept genom kreativt tänkande och analyser av hur andra löser samma problem. Koncepten jämförs sedan utefter hur väl de uppfyller kundens behov och de bästa idéerna kan på så sätt väljas ut och vidareutvecklas.</p><p>De koncept som tagits fram i detta arbete har sträckt sig från enklare idéer där kardborrmaterial används för att säkra helikoptern, till system som mäter in helikopterns position relativt fartyget och justerar sitt eget läge därefter. Totalt framkom nio grundidéer och sammanlagt tolv varianter på antiglidsystem. I samråd med personer inblandade i Skeldar-projektet valdes sedermera tre av koncepten ut för att vidareutvecklas ytterligare, en lösning där helikoptern vinschas ner på däck, en annan där kardborrlås används för att säkra den och en tredje där sugkoppar håller Skeldar fast.</p><p>Med hänsyn tagen till bland annat svårigheter att implementera en vinschlösning ombord på såväl Skeldar som fartygen valdes denna lösning slutligen bort. Svårigheterna bottnar framför allt i utrymmesbrist och problem med automatisk sammankoppling av helikopter och fartyg. De koncept som rekommenderas i detta arbete blir därför ett av systemen med kardborrlås eller sugkoppar.</p> / <p>The latest trend within the air force industry is development of unmanned aerial vehicles. The Swedish defense industry group Saab AB is following this trend by means of the introduction of their unmanned helicopter Skeldar V-150. As part of the further development of this system Saab has plans on introducing a marine version of the system, called Skeldar M. One of the purposes of this version is to enable completely autonomous take-offs and landings from ships. To be able to complete this in a safe manner in harsh conditions the helicopter needs to be secured to the deck before take-off as well as after landing.</p><p>The purpose of this thesis has been to develop a concept for keeping Skeldar secured on deck. To establish ideas for these concepts a common method for product development has been used. The method involves acquiring customer needs and from these needs establish a list of demands on the product itself. A set of product concepts are then generated by means of creative thinking and competitor analysis. After that the concepts are compared based on how well they meet the demands put upon them and the best ideas get picked out and further developed.</p><p>The concepts developed in this thesis stretch from simple ideas where hook and loop fasteners are used to secure the helicopter to more advanced ones where the helicopter’s position relative to the ship is measured and the system adjust to this position. All in all nine basic ideas were developed and a total of twelve versions on securing systems. In consultation with people involved in the Skeldar project, three of the concepts were chosen for further development, one concept where the helicopter was winched to the deck, a second where hook and loop fasteners were used to secure it and finally one where vacuum grippers keeps Skeldar on deck.</p><p>With difficulties of implementing a winch system onboard Skeldar as well as on board the ships taken into account, this solution was dropped. This was primarly due to lack of space and difficulties solving an automatic connection between helicopter and ship. The concepts recommended in this thesis will therefore be one of the systems where hook and loop fasteners or vacuum grippers are used.</p>

Den senaste trenden inom flygvapenindustrin är utveckling av obemannade farkoster. Den svenska vapenindustrikoncernen Saab AB följer denna trend i och med den stundande introduktionen av företagets obemannade helikopter Skeldar V-150. Som ett led i vidareutvecklingen av detta system finns planer på att även lansera en marin variant, kallad Skeldar M. Tanken med denna marina variant är att möjliggöra fullständigt autonoma starter och landningar från fartyg. För att kunna genomföra detta på ett tryggt sätt även i hårt väder krävs att helikoptern hålls säkrad på fartygsdäcket såväl innan start som efter landning. Uppgiften för detta arbete har varit att ta fram koncept för hur ett sådant säkringssystem skulle kunna se ut. För att ta fram idéer för dessa koncept har en flitigt brukad produktutvecklingsmetod använts. Metoden innebär att en kravspecifikation tas fram utifrån kundens behov. Med stöd av den genereras sedan ett antal produktkoncept genom kreativt tänkande och analyser av hur andra löser samma problem. Koncepten jämförs sedan utefter hur väl de uppfyller kundens behov och de bästa idéerna kan på så sätt väljas ut och vidareutvecklas. De koncept som tagits fram i detta arbete har sträckt sig från enklare idéer där kardborrmaterial används för att säkra helikoptern, till system som mäter in helikopterns position relativt fartyget och justerar sitt eget läge därefter. Totalt framkom nio grundidéer och sammanlagt tolv varianter på antiglidsystem. I samråd med personer inblandade i Skeldar-projektet valdes sedermera tre av koncepten ut för att vidareutvecklas ytterligare, en lösning där helikoptern vinschas ner på däck, en annan där kardborrlås används för att säkra den och en tredje där sugkoppar håller Skeldar fast. Med hänsyn tagen till bland annat svårigheter att implementera en vinschlösning ombord på såväl Skeldar som fartygen valdes denna lösning slutligen bort. Svårigheterna bottnar framför allt i utrymmesbrist och problem med automatisk sammankoppling av helikopter och fartyg. De koncept som rekommenderas i detta arbete blir därför ett av systemen med kardborrlås eller sugkoppar. / The latest trend within the air force industry is development of unmanned aerial vehicles. The Swedish defense industry group Saab AB is following this trend by means of the introduction of their unmanned helicopter Skeldar V-150. As part of the further development of this system Saab has plans on introducing a marine version of the system, called Skeldar M. One of the purposes of this version is to enable completely autonomous take-offs and landings from ships. To be able to complete this in a safe manner in harsh conditions the helicopter needs to be secured to the deck before take-off as well as after landing. The purpose of this thesis has been to develop a concept for keeping Skeldar secured on deck. To establish ideas for these concepts a common method for product development has been used. The method involves acquiring customer needs and from these needs establish a list of demands on the product itself. A set of product concepts are then generated by means of creative thinking and competitor analysis. After that the concepts are compared based on how well they meet the demands put upon them and the best ideas get picked out and further developed. The concepts developed in this thesis stretch from simple ideas where hook and loop fasteners are used to secure the helicopter to more advanced ones where the helicopter’s position relative to the ship is measured and the system adjust to this position. All in all nine basic ideas were developed and a total of twelve versions on securing systems. In consultation with people involved in the Skeldar project, three of the concepts were chosen for further development, one concept where the helicopter was winched to the deck, a second where hook and loop fasteners were used to secure it and finally one where vacuum grippers keeps Skeldar on deck. With difficulties of implementing a winch system onboard Skeldar as well as on board the ships taken into account, this solution was dropped. This was primarly due to lack of space and difficulties solving an automatic connection between helicopter and ship. The concepts recommended in this thesis will therefore be one of the systems where hook and loop fasteners or vacuum grippers are used.