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Aerospace Sensors and Multisensor Systems

A special issue of Sensors (ISSN 1424-8220). This special issue belongs to the section "Intelligent Sensors".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (1 July 2019) | Viewed by 60342

Special Issue Editors

Department of Aerospace Engineering, Khalifa University of Science and Technology, Abu Dhabi 127788, United Arab Emirates
Interests: aerospace vehicle design and testing; avionics and air traffic management systems; spaceflight systems design and operations; aerospace robotics and autonomous systems; guidance, navigation and control systems; unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) and UAS traffic management; advanced air mobility and urban air mobility; distributed and intelligent satellite systems; space domain awareness and space traffic management; GNSS integrity monitoring and augmentation; defense C4ISR and electronic warfare systems; cognitive human-machine systems
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Senior Research Fellow, Aerospace Engineering and Aviation, Program Lead: Human-Machine Systems and Trusted Autonomy, Cyber-Physical and Autonomous Systems Group, School of Engineering, RMIT University, PO Box 71, Bundoora, VIC 3083, Australia
Interests: air traffic management; avionics; optimal control; cyberphysical systems; trajectory optimisation; human factors and ergonomics; cognitive ergonomics; guidance, navigation and control; sustainable aviation; LIDAR and electro-optics; trusted autonomous systems; flight dynamics; space traffic management; sense-and-avoid
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Continuing rapid advances in aerospace electronics and electro-optical sensors are stimulating the development of highly integrated and multisensor systems, which are now capable of providing all information required for autonomous (or minimally supervised) operations, including navigation and guidance, weather/traffic surveillance and a growing number of mission-specific tasks. Many civil/military aircraft and Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) are already equipped with Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR) sensors (RADAR, electro-optical sensors, etc.), Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS), Inertial Navigation Systems (INS) and/or low cost Micro Electro-Mechanical System (MEMS) inertial measurement units (IMU). In addition to integrated ISR and multisensor navigation systems, there are a growing number of aerospace applications where information from multiple sensors is combined to improve performance, provide redundancy management, increase robustness, or achieve graceful degradation when sensor failures (or outages) occur. Significant advances have also been experienced in the field of space sensors and multisensor systems, with several emerging concepts being developed for future suborbital/orbital space transport, satellite applications and interplanetary exploration missions.

 

Topics to be covered include, but are not limited to the following:

  •  Sensors for Guidance, Navigation and Control;
  •  Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance Sensors;
  •  Sensors for Separation Assurance and Collision Avoidance;
  •  Radar and Electro-Optical Sensors;
  •  Bio-Inspired Aerospace Sensors;
  •  Sensors and Systems for Air Traffic Management;
  •  Space Sensor and Multisensor Systems;
  •  Sensors and Systems for Debris Avoidance and Space Traffic Management;
  •  Biosensors for Cognitive Ergonomics;
  •  Innovative Multi-Sensor Data Fusion Techniques;
  •  Health Monitoring Sensors and Data Processing.

Prof. Dr. Roberto Sabatini
Dr. Alessandro Gardi
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

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Published Papers (15 papers)

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Research

23 pages, 5319 KiB  
Article
Uncertainty Quantification for Space Situational Awareness and Traffic Management
by Samuel Hilton, Federico Cairola, Alessandro Gardi, Roberto Sabatini, Nichakorn Pongsakornsathien and Neta Ezer
Sensors 2019, 19(20), 4361; https://doi.org/10.3390/s19204361 - 09 Oct 2019
Cited by 22 | Viewed by 4367
Abstract
This paper presents a sensor-orientated approach to on-orbit position uncertainty generation and quantification for both ground-based and space-based surveillance applications. A mathematical framework based on the least squares formulation is developed to exploit real-time navigation measurements and tracking observables to provide a sound [...] Read more.
This paper presents a sensor-orientated approach to on-orbit position uncertainty generation and quantification for both ground-based and space-based surveillance applications. A mathematical framework based on the least squares formulation is developed to exploit real-time navigation measurements and tracking observables to provide a sound methodology that supports separation assurance and collision avoidance among Resident Space Objects (RSO). In line with the envisioned Space Situational Awareness (SSA) evolutions, the method aims to represent the navigation and tracking errors in the form of an uncertainty volume that accurately depicts the size, shape, and orientation. Simulation case studies are then conducted to verify under which sensors performance the method meets Gaussian assumptions, with a greater view to the implications that uncertainty has on the cyber-physical architecture evolutions and Cognitive Human-Machine Systems required for Space Situational Awareness and the development of a comprehensive Space Traffic Management framework. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Aerospace Sensors and Multisensor Systems)
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23 pages, 5176 KiB  
Article
GNSS Performance Modelling and Augmentation for Urban Air Mobility
by Suraj Bijjahalli, Roberto Sabatini and Alessandro Gardi
Sensors 2019, 19(19), 4209; https://doi.org/10.3390/s19194209 - 27 Sep 2019
Cited by 33 | Viewed by 4912
Abstract
One of the primary challenges facing Urban Air Mobility (UAM) and the safe integration of Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) in the urban airspace is the availability of robust, reliable navigation and Sense-and-Avoid (SAA) systems. Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS) are typically the primary [...] Read more.
One of the primary challenges facing Urban Air Mobility (UAM) and the safe integration of Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) in the urban airspace is the availability of robust, reliable navigation and Sense-and-Avoid (SAA) systems. Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS) are typically the primary source of positioning for most air and ground vehicles and for a growing number of UAS applications; however, their performance is frequently inadequate in such challenging environments. This paper performs a comprehensive analysis of GNSS performance for UAS operations with a focus on failure modes in urban environments. Based on the analysis, a guidance strategy is developed which accounts for the influence of urban structures on GNSS performance. A simulation case study representative of UAS operations in urban environments is conducted to assess the validity of the proposed approach. Results show improved accuracy (approximately 25%) and availability when compared against a conventional minimum-distance guidance strategy. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Aerospace Sensors and Multisensor Systems)
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38 pages, 11177 KiB  
Article
Sensor Networks for Aerospace Human-Machine Systems
by Nichakorn Pongsakornsathien, Yixiang Lim, Alessandro Gardi, Samuel Hilton, Lars Planke, Roberto Sabatini, Trevor Kistan and Neta Ezer
Sensors 2019, 19(16), 3465; https://doi.org/10.3390/s19163465 - 08 Aug 2019
Cited by 29 | Viewed by 5532
Abstract
Intelligent automation and trusted autonomy are being introduced in aerospace cyber-physical systems to support diverse tasks including data processing, decision-making, information sharing and mission execution. Due to the increasing level of integration/collaboration between humans and automation in these tasks, the operational performance of [...] Read more.
Intelligent automation and trusted autonomy are being introduced in aerospace cyber-physical systems to support diverse tasks including data processing, decision-making, information sharing and mission execution. Due to the increasing level of integration/collaboration between humans and automation in these tasks, the operational performance of closed-loop human-machine systems can be enhanced when the machine monitors the operator’s cognitive states and adapts to them in order to maximise the effectiveness of the Human-Machine Interfaces and Interactions (HMI2). Technological developments have led to neurophysiological observations becoming a reliable methodology to evaluate the human operator’s states using a variety of wearable and remote sensors. The adoption of sensor networks can be seen as an evolution of this approach, as there are notable advantages if these sensors collect and exchange data in real-time, while their operation is controlled remotely and synchronised. This paper discusses recent advances in sensor networks for aerospace cyber-physical systems, focusing on Cognitive HMI2 (CHMI2) implementations. The key neurophysiological measurements used in this context and their relationship with the operator’s cognitive states are discussed. Suitable data analysis techniques based on machine learning and statistical inference are also presented, as these techniques allow processing both neurophysiological and operational data to obtain accurate cognitive state estimations. Lastly, to support the development of sensor networks for CHMI2 applications, the paper addresses the performance characterisation of various state-of-the-art sensors and the propagation of measurement uncertainties through a machine learning-based inference engine. Results show that a proper sensor selection and integration can support the implementation of effective human-machine systems for various challenging aerospace applications, including Air Traffic Management (ATM), commercial airliner Single-Pilot Operations (SIPO), one-to-many Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS), and space operations management. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Aerospace Sensors and Multisensor Systems)
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14 pages, 3421 KiB  
Article
Tracking Control of a Maglev Vibration Isolation System Based on a High-Precision Relative Position and Attitude Model
by Qianqian Wu, Bilong Liu, Ning Cui and Sifang Zhao
Sensors 2019, 19(15), 3375; https://doi.org/10.3390/s19153375 - 01 Aug 2019
Cited by 11 | Viewed by 2959
Abstract
The maglev vibration isolation system exhibits excellent micro-vibration isolation performance (0.01 Hz to 100 Hz band) in the space environment. However, a collision between the base and the floating platform may occur in an ultra-low frequency range (≤0.01 Hz). To avoid collision, the [...] Read more.
The maglev vibration isolation system exhibits excellent micro-vibration isolation performance (0.01 Hz to 100 Hz band) in the space environment. However, a collision between the base and the floating platform may occur in an ultra-low frequency range (≤0.01 Hz). To avoid collision, the relative position and attitude between the base and the floating platform needs to be accurately tracked and controlled. In this study, a novel measurement method with four groups of two-dimensional position-sensitive detectors equipped with four laser light sources was proposed. A high-precision relative position and attitude measurement model was established based on the geometric relationship of space coordinates. A proportional-differential (PD) fixed-point control algorithm was adopted to realize tracking control. The control performance of the system was evaluated through simulation. Experiments were also carried out to verify the stability of the system and the precision of the control algorithm. A maglev vibration isolation system prototype was constructed and a test system was established. The proposed relative position and attitude measurement model was verified and the six degrees of freedom relative position and attitude response of the system was tested. Based on the measurement model, the tracking control of the system was proven to have high precision. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Aerospace Sensors and Multisensor Systems)
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15 pages, 7082 KiB  
Article
Temperature Effects on Electromechanical Response of Deposited Piezoelectric Sensors Used in Structural Health Monitoring of Aerospace Structures
by Hamidreza Hoshyarmanesh, Mojtaba Ghodsi, Minjae Kim, Hyung Hee Cho and Hyung-Ho Park
Sensors 2019, 19(12), 2805; https://doi.org/10.3390/s19122805 - 22 Jun 2019
Cited by 15 | Viewed by 4477
Abstract
Turbomachine components used in aerospace and power plant applications preferably require continuous structural health monitoring at various temperatures. The structural health of pristine and damaged superalloy compressor blades of a gas turbine engine was monitored using real electro-mechanical impedance of deposited thick film [...] Read more.
Turbomachine components used in aerospace and power plant applications preferably require continuous structural health monitoring at various temperatures. The structural health of pristine and damaged superalloy compressor blades of a gas turbine engine was monitored using real electro-mechanical impedance of deposited thick film piezoelectric transducers at 20 and 200 °C. IVIUM impedance analyzer was implemented in laboratory conditions for damage detection in superalloy blades, while a custom-architected frequency-domain transceiver circuit was used for semi-field circumstances. Recorded electromechanical impedance signals at 20 and 200 °C acquired from two piezoelectric wafer active sensors bonded to an aluminum plate, near and far from the damage, were initially utilized for accuracy and reliability verification of the transceiver at temperatures >20 °C. Damage formation in both the aluminum plate and blades showed a peak shift in the swept frequency along with an increase in the amplitude and number of impedance peaks. The thermal energy at 200 °C, on the other hand, enforces a further subsequent peak shift in the impedance signal to pristine and damaged parts such that the anti-resonance frequency keeps reducing as the temperature increases. The results obtained from the impedance signals of both piezoelectric wafers and piezo-films, revealed that increasing the temperature somewhat decreased the real impedance amplitude and the number of anti-resonance peaks, which is due to an increase in permittivity and capacitance of piezo-sensors. A trend is also presented for artificial intelligence training purposes to distinguish the effect of the temperature versus damage formation in sample turbine compressor blades. Implementation of such a monitoring system provides a distinct advantage to enhance the safety and functionality of critical aerospace components working at high temperatures subjected to crack, wear, hot-corrosion and erosion. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Aerospace Sensors and Multisensor Systems)
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30 pages, 6303 KiB  
Article
Estimating the Vertical Structure of Weather-Induced Mission Costs for Small UAS
by John J. Bird, Scott J. Richardson and Jack W. Langelaan
Sensors 2019, 19(12), 2770; https://doi.org/10.3390/s19122770 - 20 Jun 2019
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 3108
Abstract
The performance of small uninhabited aerial systems (UAS) is very sensitive to the atmospheric state. Improving awareness of the environment and its impact on mission performance is important to enabling greater autonomy for small UAS. A modeling system is proposed that allows a [...] Read more.
The performance of small uninhabited aerial systems (UAS) is very sensitive to the atmospheric state. Improving awareness of the environment and its impact on mission performance is important to enabling greater autonomy for small UAS. A modeling system is proposed that allows a small UAS to build a model of the atmospheric state using computational resources available onboard the aircraft and relate the atmospheric state to the cost of completing a mission. In this case, mission cost refers to the energy required per distance traveled. The system can use in situ observations made by the aircraft, but can also incorporate observations from other aircraft and sensors. The modeling system is demonstrated in a flight test aboard a small UAS and validated against radiosondes and numerical weather model analyses. The test demonstrates that the modeling system can represent the atmospheric state and identifies times where significant error exists between the state expected by the numerical weather model and that observed. Transformation of the atmospheric state into a mission performance cost identifies cases where the mission performance cost predicted by a numerical weather model differs from that observed by more than 30%. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Aerospace Sensors and Multisensor Systems)
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13 pages, 6002 KiB  
Article
Simulating and Testing Microvibrations on an Optical Satellite Using Acceleration Sensor-Based Jitter Measurements
by Shan-Bo Chen, Ming Xuan, Lei Zhang, Song Gu, Xiao-Xue Gong and Hong-Yu Sun
Sensors 2019, 19(8), 1797; https://doi.org/10.3390/s19081797 - 15 Apr 2019
Cited by 13 | Viewed by 3928
Abstract
The present study uses a method to address microvibrations effects on an optical satellite by combining simulations and experiments based on high-precision acceleration sensors. The displacement and angular displacement of each optical component can be obtained by introducing flywheel perturbation data from a [...] Read more.
The present study uses a method to address microvibrations effects on an optical satellite by combining simulations and experiments based on high-precision acceleration sensors. The displacement and angular displacement of each optical component can be obtained by introducing flywheel perturbation data from a six-component test bench to the finite element model of the optical satellite. Combined with an optical amplification factor inferred from the linear optical model, the pixel offset of the whole optical system is calculated. A high accuracy and broad frequency range for a new microvibration measurement experimental system is established to validate the simulation. The pixel offset of the whole optical system can be measured by testing the acceleration signals of each optical component and calculating optical amplification factors. The results are consistent with optical imaging test results, indicating correctness of the experimental scheme and the effectiveness of the simulation. The results suggest that the effect of microvibrations on a camera can be verified by using mechanical simulators instead of a whole optical camera for the experiment scheme, which is demonstrated to be an effective way for increasing efficiency in jitter measurements. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Aerospace Sensors and Multisensor Systems)
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26 pages, 874 KiB  
Article
Adaptive Estimation and Cooperative Guidance for Active Aircraft Defense in Stochastic Scenario
by Feng Fang, Yuanli Cai and Zhenhua Yu
Sensors 2019, 19(4), 979; https://doi.org/10.3390/s19040979 - 25 Feb 2019
Cited by 5 | Viewed by 3410
Abstract
The active aircraft defense problem is investigated for the stochastic scenario wherein a defending missile (or a defender) is employed to protect a target aircraft from an attacking missile whose pursuit guidance strategy is unknown. For the purpose of identifying the guidance strategy, [...] Read more.
The active aircraft defense problem is investigated for the stochastic scenario wherein a defending missile (or a defender) is employed to protect a target aircraft from an attacking missile whose pursuit guidance strategy is unknown. For the purpose of identifying the guidance strategy, the static multiple model estimator (sMME) based on the square-root cubature Kalman filter is proposed, and each model represents a potential attacking missile guidance strategy. Furthermore, an estimation enhancement approach is provided by using pseudo-measurement. For each model in the sMME, the model-matched cooperative guidance laws for the target and defender are derived by formulating the active defense problem as a constrained linear quadratic problem, where an accurate defensive interception and the minimum evasion miss distance are both considered. The proposed adaptive cooperative guidance laws are the result of mixing the model-matched optimal cooperative guidance laws in the criterion of maximum a posteriori probability in the framework of the sMME. By adopting the adaptive cooperative guidance laws, the target can facilitate the defender’s interception with the attacking missile with less control effort. Also, simulation results show that the proposed guidance laws increase the probability of successful target protection in the stochastic scenario compared with other defensive guidance laws. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Aerospace Sensors and Multisensor Systems)
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24 pages, 4406 KiB  
Article
Infrared-Inertial Navigation for Commercial Aircraft Precision Landing in Low Visibility and GPS-Denied Environments
by Lei Zhang, Zhengjun Zhai, Lang He, Pengcheng Wen and Wensheng Niu
Sensors 2019, 19(2), 408; https://doi.org/10.3390/s19020408 - 20 Jan 2019
Cited by 16 | Viewed by 5722
Abstract
This paper proposes a novel infrared-inertial navigation method for the precise landing of commercial aircraft in low visibility and Global Position System (GPS)-denied environments. Within a Square-root Unscented Kalman Filter (SR_UKF), inertial measurement unit (IMU) data, forward-looking infrared (FLIR) images and airport geo-information [...] Read more.
This paper proposes a novel infrared-inertial navigation method for the precise landing of commercial aircraft in low visibility and Global Position System (GPS)-denied environments. Within a Square-root Unscented Kalman Filter (SR_UKF), inertial measurement unit (IMU) data, forward-looking infrared (FLIR) images and airport geo-information are integrated to estimate the position, velocity and attitude of the aircraft during landing. Homography between the synthetic image and the real image which implicates the camera pose deviations is created as vision measurement. To accurately extract real runway features, the current results of runway detection are used as the prior knowledge for the next frame detection. To avoid possible homography decomposition solutions, it is directly converted to a vector and fed to the SR_UKF. Moreover, the proposed navigation system is proven to be observable by nonlinear observability analysis. Last but not least, a general aircraft was elaborately equipped with vision and inertial sensors to collect flight data for algorithm verification. The experimental results have demonstrated that the proposed method could be used for the precise landing of commercial aircraft in low visibility and GPS-denied environments. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Aerospace Sensors and Multisensor Systems)
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14 pages, 3130 KiB  
Article
Decoupling of Airborne Dynamic Bending Deformation Angle and Its Application in the High-Accuracy Transfer Alignment Process
by Ping Yang, Xiyuan Chen and Junwei Wang
Sensors 2019, 19(1), 214; https://doi.org/10.3390/s19010214 - 08 Jan 2019
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 3652
Abstract
In the traditional airborne distributed position and orientation system (DPOS) transfer alignment process, the coupling angle between the dynamic deformation and body angular motion is not estimated or compensated, which causes the process to have low precision and long convergence time. To achieve [...] Read more.
In the traditional airborne distributed position and orientation system (DPOS) transfer alignment process, the coupling angle between the dynamic deformation and body angular motion is not estimated or compensated, which causes the process to have low precision and long convergence time. To achieve high-precision transfer alignment, a decoupling method for the airborne dynamic deformation angle is proposed in this paper. The model of the coupling angle is established through mathematical derivation. Then, taking the coupling angle into consideration, angular velocity error and velocity error between the master INS and slave IMU are corrected. Based on this, a novel 27-state Kalman filter model is established. Simulation results demonstrate that, compared with the traditional transfer alignment model, the model proposed in this paper has faster convergence time and higher accuracy. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Aerospace Sensors and Multisensor Systems)
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16 pages, 4110 KiB  
Article
Sensitivity-Compensated Micro-Pressure Flexible Sensor for Aerospace Vehicle
by Xiaozhou Lü, Jianan Jiang, Hui Wang, Qiaobo Gao, Shaobo Zhao, Ning Li, Jiayi Yang, Songlin Wang, Weimin Bao and Renjie Chen
Sensors 2019, 19(1), 72; https://doi.org/10.3390/s19010072 - 25 Dec 2018
Cited by 17 | Viewed by 4129
Abstract
When flight vehicles (e.g., aerospace vehicles, Low Earth Orbit (LEO) satellites, near-space aircrafts, Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) and drones) fly at high speed, their surfaces suffer the micro-pressure from high-altitude thin air. The long-term effect of this pressure causes the surface components of [...] Read more.
When flight vehicles (e.g., aerospace vehicles, Low Earth Orbit (LEO) satellites, near-space aircrafts, Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) and drones) fly at high speed, their surfaces suffer the micro-pressure from high-altitude thin air. The long-term effect of this pressure causes the surface components of flight vehicle to deform or fall off, which can lead to a serious accident. To solve this problem, this paper proposes a sensitivity-compensated micro-pressure flexible sensor based on hyper-elastic plastic material and plate parallel capacitance. The sensor is able to measure a range of 0–6 kPa micro-pressure suffered by the flight vehicle’s surface with high sensitivity and flexible devices. In this paper, we propose the principle, structure design and fabrication of the sensitivity-compensated micro-pressure flexible sensor. We carried out experiments to obtain the static characteristic curve between micro-pressure and the output capacitance of the sensor devices, and investigated the relationship between sensitivity and geometric parameters. We also compared the performance of the flexible sensor before and after sensitivity compensation. The result shows that the sensor can measure a range of 0–2 kPa and 2–6 kPa with a sensitivity of 0.27 kPa−1 and 0.021 kPa−1, which are 80% and 141.38% higher than the sensor before compensation; a linearity of 1.39% and 2.88%, which are 51.7% and 13.1% higher than the sensor before compensation; and a hysteresis and repeatability of 4.95% and 2.38%, respectively. The sensor has potential applications in flight vehicles to measure the micro-pressure with high sensitivity and flexibility. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Aerospace Sensors and Multisensor Systems)
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17 pages, 3045 KiB  
Article
Bio-Inspired Neural Adaptive Control of a Small Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Based on Airflow Sensors
by Zijun Ren, Wenxing Fu, Supeng Zhu, Binbin Yan and Jie Yan
Sensors 2018, 18(10), 3233; https://doi.org/10.3390/s18103233 - 26 Sep 2018
Cited by 5 | Viewed by 3321
Abstract
Inspired by the exceptional flight ability of birds and insects, a bio-inspired neural adaptive flight control structure of a small unmanned aerial vehicle was presented. Eight pressure sensors were elaborately installed in the leading-edge area of the forward wing. A back propagation neural [...] Read more.
Inspired by the exceptional flight ability of birds and insects, a bio-inspired neural adaptive flight control structure of a small unmanned aerial vehicle was presented. Eight pressure sensors were elaborately installed in the leading-edge area of the forward wing. A back propagation neural network was trained to predict the aerodynamic moment based on pressure measurements. The network model was trained, validated, and tested. An adaptive controller was designed based on a radial basis function neural network. The new adaptive laws guaranteed the boundedness of the adaptive parameters. The closed-loop stability was analyzed via Lyapunov theory. The simulation results demonstrated the robustness of the bio-inspired flight control system when subjected to measurement noise, parametric uncertainties, and external disturbance. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Aerospace Sensors and Multisensor Systems)
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25 pages, 1466 KiB  
Article
Composite Hierarchical Anti-Disturbance Control with Multisensor Fusion for Compact Optoelectronic Platforms
by Yutang Wang, Dapeng Tian and Ming Dai
Sensors 2018, 18(10), 3190; https://doi.org/10.3390/s18103190 - 21 Sep 2018
Cited by 7 | Viewed by 2623
Abstract
In the aerospace field, compact optoelectronic platforms (COPs) are being increasingly equipped on unmanned aircraft systems (UAS). They assist UAS in a range of mission-specific tasks such as disaster relief, crop testing, and firefighting. However, the strict constraint of structure space makes COPs [...] Read more.
In the aerospace field, compact optoelectronic platforms (COPs) are being increasingly equipped on unmanned aircraft systems (UAS). They assist UAS in a range of mission-specific tasks such as disaster relief, crop testing, and firefighting. However, the strict constraint of structure space makes COPs subject to multi-source disturbances. The application of a low-cost and low-precision sensor also affects the system control performance. A composite hierarchical anti-disturbance control (CHADC) scheme with multisensor fusion is explored herein to improve the motion performance of COPs in the presence of internal and external disturbances. Composite disturbance modelling combining the characteristic of wire-wound moment is presented in the inner layer. The adaptive mutation differential evolution algorithm is implemented to identify and optimise the model parameters of the system internal disturbance. Inverse model compensation and finite-time nonlinear disturbance observer are then constructed to compensate for multiple disturbances. A non-singular terminal sliding mode controller is constructed to attenuate disturbance in the outer layer. A stability analysis for both the composite disturbance compensator and the closed-loop system is provided using Lyapunov stability arguments. The phase lag-free low-pass filter is implemented to interfuse multiple sensors with different order information and achieve satisfactory noise suppression without phase lag. Experimental results demonstrate that the proposed CHADC strategy with a higher-quality signal has an improved performance for multi-source disturbance compensation. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Aerospace Sensors and Multisensor Systems)
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19 pages, 2428 KiB  
Article
Robust Adaptive Cubature Kalman Filter and Its Application to Ultra-Tightly Coupled SINS/GPS Navigation System
by Xin Zhao, Jianli Li, Xunliang Yan and Shaowen Ji
Sensors 2018, 18(7), 2352; https://doi.org/10.3390/s18072352 - 20 Jul 2018
Cited by 35 | Viewed by 3627
Abstract
In this paper, we propose a robust adaptive cubature Kalman filter (CKF) to deal with the problem of an inaccurately known system model and noise statistics. In order to overcome the kinematic model error, we introduce an adaptive factor to adjust the covariance [...] Read more.
In this paper, we propose a robust adaptive cubature Kalman filter (CKF) to deal with the problem of an inaccurately known system model and noise statistics. In order to overcome the kinematic model error, we introduce an adaptive factor to adjust the covariance matrix of state prediction, and process the influence introduced by dynamic disturbance error. Aiming at overcoming the abnormality error, we propose the robust estimation theory to adjust the CKF algorithm online. The proposed adaptive CKF can detect the degree of gross error and subsequently process it, so the influence produced by the abnormality error can be solved. The paper also studies a typical application system for the proposed method, which is the ultra-tightly coupled navigation system of a hypersonic vehicle. Highly dynamical scene experimental results show that the proposed method can effectively process errors aroused by the abnormality data and inaccurate model, and has better tracking performance than UKF and CKF tracking methods. Simultaneously, the proposed method is superior to the tracing method based on a single-modulating loop in the tracking performance. Thus, the stable and high-precision tracking for GPS satellite signals are preferably achieved and the applicability of the system is promoted under the circumstance of high dynamics and weak signals. The effectiveness of the proposed method is verified by a highly dynamical scene experiment. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Aerospace Sensors and Multisensor Systems)
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24 pages, 3095 KiB  
Article
Efficient Node and Sensed Module Management for Multisensory Wireless Sensor Networks
by Juan Feng and Xiaozhu Shi
Sensors 2018, 18(7), 2328; https://doi.org/10.3390/s18072328 - 18 Jul 2018
Cited by 5 | Viewed by 2781
Abstract
In target tracking wireless sensor networks, choosing a part of sensor nodes to execute tracking tasks and letting the other nodes sleep to save energy are efficient node management strategies. However, at present more and more sensor nodes carry many different types of [...] Read more.
In target tracking wireless sensor networks, choosing a part of sensor nodes to execute tracking tasks and letting the other nodes sleep to save energy are efficient node management strategies. However, at present more and more sensor nodes carry many different types of sensed modules, and the existing researches on node selection are mainly focused on sensor nodes with a single sensed module. Few works involved the management and selection of the sensed modules for sensor nodes which have several multi-mode sensed modules. This work proposes an efficient node and sensed module management strategy, called ENSMM, for multisensory WSNs (wireless sensor networks). ENSMM considers not only node selection, but also the selection of the sensed modules for each node, and then the power management of sensor nodes is performed according to the selection results. Moreover, a joint weighted information utility measurement is proposed to estimate the information utility of the multiple sensed modules in the different nodes. Through extensive and realistic experiments, the results show that, ENSMM outperforms the state-of-the-art approaches by decreasing the energy consumption and prolonging the network lifetime. Meanwhile, it reduces the computational complexity with guaranteeing the tracking accuracy. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Aerospace Sensors and Multisensor Systems)
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