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Advanced Research and Application of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles
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Advanced Research and Application of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles

A special issue of Applied Sciences (ISSN 2076-3417). This special issue belongs to the section "Robotics and Automation".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (30 September 2024) | Viewed by 9852

Special Issue Editor

Dr. Shubo Wang

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
College of Science, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, China
Interests: guidance, navigation and control of unmanned system; UAV composite layered ADRC technology; construction of convolutional neural network based on meta learning; neural network optimization based on heuristic algorithm
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

After decades of exploration, a complete unmanned aerial vehicles scheme with "perception-decision-making-control" progression has been formed. Unmanned aerial vehicles are widely used in military, agriculture, rescue, monitoring, urban security, and other fields. Exploring more effective unmanned aerial systems can improve the security of the system and broaden its scope of use. This effectiveness can facilitate more accurate information in perception, more accurate decisions, and more accurate control. This Special Issue will collect new methods and applications around the perception, decision making, and control of unmanned aerial vehicles.

In this Special Issue, we aim to exchange knowledge on any aspect related to unmanned aerial vehicles to promote the application of intelligent systems.

Dr. Shubo Wang
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

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Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2400 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • unmanned aerial vehicles
  • intelligent perception
  • intelligent control
  • unmanned system
  • bio-inspired robot

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Published Papers (6 papers)

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Research

26 pages, 18629 KiB  
Article
Advanced UAV Material Transportation and Precision Delivery Utilizing the Whale-Swarm Hybrid Algorithm (WSHA) and APCR-YOLOv8 Model
by Yuchen Wu, Zhijian Wei, Huilin Liu, Jiawei Qi, Xu Su, Jiqiang Yang and Qinglin Wu
Appl. Sci. 2024, 14(15), 6621; https://doi.org/10.3390/app14156621 - 29 Jul 2024
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1498
Abstract
This paper proposes an effective material delivery algorithm to address the challenges associated with Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) material transportation and delivery, which include complex route planning, low detection precision, and hardware limitations. This novel approach integrates the Whale-Swarm Hybrid Algorithm (WSHA) with [...] Read more.
This paper proposes an effective material delivery algorithm to address the challenges associated with Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) material transportation and delivery, which include complex route planning, low detection precision, and hardware limitations. This novel approach integrates the Whale-Swarm Hybrid Algorithm (WSHA) with the APCR-YOLOv8 model to enhance efficiency and accuracy. For path planning, the placement paths are transformed into a Generalized Traveling Salesman Problem (GTSP) to be able to compute solutions. The Whale Optimization Algorithm (WOA) is improved for balanced global and local searches, combined with an Artificial Bee Colony (ABC) Algorithm and adaptive weight adjustment to quicken convergence and reduce path costs. For precise placement, the YOLOv8 model is first enhanced by adding the SimAM attention mechanism to the C2f module in the detection head, focusing on target features. Secondly, GhoHGNetv2 using GhostConv is the backbone of YOLOv8 to ensure accuracy while reducing model Params and FLOPs. Finally, a Lightweight Shared Convolutional Detection Head (LSCDHead) further reduces Params and FLOPs through shared convolution. Experimental results show that WSHA reduces path costs by 9.69% and narrows the gap between the best and worst paths by about 34.39%, compared to the Improved Whale Optimization Algorithm (IWOA). APCR-YOLOv8 reduces Params and FLOPs by 44.33% and 34.57%, respectively, with mAP@0.5 increasing from 88.5 to 92.4 and FPS reaching 151.3. This approach can satisfy the requirements for real-time responsiveness while effectively preventing missed, false, and duplicate detections during the inspection of emergency airdrop stations. In conclusion, combining bionic optimization algorithms and image processing significantly enhances the efficiency and precision of material placement in emergency management. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advanced Research and Application of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles)
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18 pages, 25559 KiB  
Article
Analyzing the Effect of Tethered Cable on the Stability of Tethered UAVs Based on Lyapunov Exponents
by Zhiren Tang, Chaofeng Liu, Hongbo Jiang, Feiyu Hou and Shenglan Wang
Appl. Sci. 2024, 14(10), 4253; https://doi.org/10.3390/app14104253 - 17 May 2024
Viewed by 1135
Abstract
In the working process of the tethered unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), there is interference from the tethered cable, which can easily lead to the instability of the UAV. To solve the above problems, a method based on the Lyapunov exponent is proposed to [...] Read more.
In the working process of the tethered unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), there is interference from the tethered cable, which can easily lead to the instability of the UAV. To solve the above problems, a method based on the Lyapunov exponent is proposed to analyze the stability of tethered cables for tethered UAVs. The dynamics equation of the UAV platform is established using the Euler–Poincare equation. The tension formula of the tethered cable is derived from the catenary theory and the principle of micro-segment equilibrium. Based on the Lyapunov exponential method, the stability changes of the tethered UAV in the takeoff, hovering, and landing stages are simulated and analyzed in a MATLAB environment. Prototype tests are carried out to prove the correctness of the simulation model and calculation conclusions. The results show that with an increase in the density of the tethered cable, the stability of the tethered UAV tends to decrease. At the same time, stability is affected by the density of the tethered cable more often during takeoff than during landing. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advanced Research and Application of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles)
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23 pages, 3118 KiB  
Article
Modeling and Improvement for String-Based Drive Mechanism in Insect-like Flapping Wing Micro Air Vehicle
by Ruiqi Ye, Ziming Liu, Jin Cui, Chenyang Wang and Yirong Wu
Appl. Sci. 2023, 13(24), 13209; https://doi.org/10.3390/app132413209 - 13 Dec 2023
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1453
Abstract
Most of the driving mechanisms used in micro flapping wing vehicles are gear and linkage transmission mechanisms, which convert the unidirectional rotation of the motor into the reciprocating flapping of the driving mechanism. However, gear and linkage transmission mechanisms occupy a larger space [...] Read more.
Most of the driving mechanisms used in micro flapping wing vehicles are gear and linkage transmission mechanisms, which convert the unidirectional rotation of the motor into the reciprocating flapping of the driving mechanism. However, gear and linkage transmission mechanisms occupy a larger space and weight with certain energy losses. This article introduces a drive mechanism that is different from gear and linkage mechanisms, namely the string-based mechanism. In this study, the working principle and various parameters in string-based mechanisms are analyzed, and the flapping trajectory and amplitude of the mechanism is simulated. Following that, this article proposes an improved method of the cam mechanism, designs the trajectory of a cam mechanism, and a physical design is carried out with a driving mechanism width of 22 mm. Subsequently, the experiments are conducted to compare the flapping trajectory of the actual mechanism with the simulation trajectory, thereby verifying the simulation accuracy. The results prove that, in a string-based mechanism, the ratio of the radius of the pulley to the installation radius of the double-layer bearings has a direct impact on the flapping amplitude, and optimizing the design of cam mechanisms can effectively reduce the tensile and relaxation phenomena in string-based mechanisms. The above conclusion was verified in physical experiments, where the modified cam mechanism effectively reduced the stuck phenomenon in the string-based mechanism. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advanced Research and Application of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles)
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16 pages, 2996 KiB  
Article
Cross-Platform UAV Swarm Key Management in Denied Environments
by Lin Yuan, Zhishang Feng, Chang Zhang and Huifang Ji
Appl. Sci. 2023, 13(15), 8918; https://doi.org/10.3390/app13158918 - 2 Aug 2023
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1200
Abstract
As resources provided by single unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) are limited, we propose a cross-platform UAV swarm key management scheme for task scenarios in denied environments. In denied environments where the communication link is open and the UAV nodes may go invalid, secure [...] Read more.
As resources provided by single unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) are limited, we propose a cross-platform UAV swarm key management scheme for task scenarios in denied environments. In denied environments where the communication link is open and the UAV nodes may go invalid, secure communication is often at stake. To solve this problem, we propose a key management scheme which, based on the Chinese remainder theorem (CRT) and the Hash function, constructs a swarm key by combining the local key and the session key to reduce the overhead of individual UAV nodes in the swarm. Meanwhile, the swarm head node constructs broadcast messages according to the key update needs, which reduces the overhead of the member nodes, improves the efficiency of key updating, and fulfills the key establishment and updating of the UAV swarm. Experiments show that our proposed scheme has forward and backward security and can defend against collusion attacks and replay attacks; our method was compared with other methods on the MIRACL cryptographic library in Visual Studio 2019, and it was found that our method has a lower computing and communication overhead, provides a solution to cross-platform key management of UAV swarms in denied environments, and ensures safe communication of UAVs in the swarm. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advanced Research and Application of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles)
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20 pages, 5626 KiB  
Article
Improved Adaptive NDI Flight Control Law Design Based on Real-Time Aerodynamic Identification in Frequency Domain
by Dapeng Zhou, Zeyu Jin and Guoqiang Wu
Appl. Sci. 2023, 13(12), 6951; https://doi.org/10.3390/app13126951 - 8 Jun 2023
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1868
Abstract
The traditional aircraft controller design is usually based on the off-line aerodynamic model. Due to the deviation of the off-line aerodynamic model, the flight quality is difficult to meet the requirements when the aircraft is flying in the real atmosphere. To solve this [...] Read more.
The traditional aircraft controller design is usually based on the off-line aerodynamic model. Due to the deviation of the off-line aerodynamic model, the flight quality is difficult to meet the requirements when the aircraft is flying in the real atmosphere. To solve this problem, this paper proposes a frequency domain identification-based improved adaptive nonlinear dynamic inversion (NDI) control method (FDI-ANDI). In this paper, an online recursive aerodynamic parameter identification method in the frequency domain is first designed, and then an adaptive dynamic inversion control method based on the online aerodynamic parameter identification results is established. Finally, aiming at the problem of the slow response speed of the NDI controller, an improved adaptive dynamic inversion control law is designed by using the method of series lead correction. Compared with the traditional control method, the adaptive dynamic inversion method based on online aerodynamic identification has stronger robustness and a faster response speed in the face of model uncertainty. The final simulation analysis shows that the method has a better control effect than the traditional control method. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advanced Research and Application of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles)
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21 pages, 2756 KiB  
Article
Using Historical Data to Dynamically Route Post-Disaster Assessment Unmanned Aerial Vehicles in the Context of Responding to Tornadoes
by Sean Grogan, Michel Gamache and Robert Pellerin
Appl. Sci. 2023, 13(7), 4178; https://doi.org/10.3390/app13074178 - 25 Mar 2023
Viewed by 1829
Abstract
Responding to tornado disasters resides at a unique intersection of search and rescue operations: it has attributes of wilderness and maritime search and rescue operations and search and rescue operations in the aftermath of earthquakes and hurricanes. This paper presents a method of [...] Read more.
Responding to tornado disasters resides at a unique intersection of search and rescue operations: it has attributes of wilderness and maritime search and rescue operations and search and rescue operations in the aftermath of earthquakes and hurricanes. This paper presents a method of attempting to leverage historical data to more efficiently identify the extent of the area damaged by a tornado. To assist in building and understanding the historical data, we also develop a method to generate tornado areas that react similarly to the limited historical data set. The paper successfully demonstrates the method of creating artificial tornado instances that can be used as a testing sandbox for the further development of tools when responding to tornado-type disasters. These artificial instances perform similarly in some important metrics to the historical database of tornado instances that we produced. This paper also shows that the use of historical tornado trends has an impact on the response method outlined in this article, typically reducing the standard deviation of the time it takes to fully identify the extent of the damage. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advanced Research and Application of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles)
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