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Drones
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Conceptual Design, Modeling, and Control Strategies of Drones 3rd Edition
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Conceptual Design, Modeling, and Control Strategies of Drones 3rd Edition

A special issue of Drones (ISSN 2504-446X). This special issue belongs to the section "Drone Design and Development".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (1 April 2025) | Viewed by 17077

Special Issue Editor

Prof. Dr. Andrey V. Savkin

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
School of Electrical Engineering and Telecommunications, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW 2052, Australia
Interests: robot navigation; deployment of drones; unmanned aerial vehicles; control of wireless communication networks; control of power systems; robust control and filtering; hybrid dynamical systems; control engineering; biomedical engineering
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The use of aerial drones, which are also known as flying robots, unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) or airships, and unmanned marine vehicles is rapidly expanding to numerous applications, such as communication, environmental monitoring, rescue operations, policing, video surveillance, product deliveries and smart agriculture. For all these applications, the conceptual design, modeling and control strategies of aerial and marine drones are critical issues. Advanced methods of modeling, navigation and control play an important role in achieving the reliable, robust, secure and cost-effective functioning of drones. This Special Issue is focused on new developments in the field of modeling, navigation and control strategies for various applications.

The potential topics include, but are not limited to:

  • UAV control systems;
  • Advanced methods of UAV navigation and guidance;
  • The navigation of autonomous underwater vehicles and unmanned surface vehicles;
  • Mathematical models of aerial and marine drones;
  • The navigation and control of collaborating UAVs, ground vehicles,  aerial and marine drones for surveillance, environmental, delivery, rescue, smart agriculture, policing and security applications.

Prof. Dr. Andrey V. Savkin
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Drones is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 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 (UAVs)
  • UAV control systems
  • navigation and control of collaborating UAVs

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Related Special Issues

Published Papers (6 papers)

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Research

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27 pages, 1862 KiB  
Article
Paving the Way for Sustainable UAVs Using Distributed Propulsion and Solar-Powered Systems
by Esteban Valencia, Cristian Cruzatty, Edwin Amaguaña and Edgar Cando
Drones 2024, 8(10), 604; https://doi.org/10.3390/drones8100604 - 21 Oct 2024
Viewed by 1555
Abstract
Hybrid systems offer optimal solutions for unmanned aerial platforms, showcasing their technological development in parallel and series configurations and providing alternatives for future aircraft concepts. However, the limited energetic benefit of these configurations is primarily due to their weight, constituting one of the [...] Read more.
Hybrid systems offer optimal solutions for unmanned aerial platforms, showcasing their technological development in parallel and series configurations and providing alternatives for future aircraft concepts. However, the limited energetic benefit of these configurations is primarily due to their weight, constituting one of the main constraints. Solar PV technology can provide an interesting enhancement to the autonomy of these systems. However, to create efficient propulsion architectures tailored for specific missions, a flexible framework is required. This work presents a methodology to assess hybrid solar-powered UAVs in distributed propulsion configurations through a two-level modeling scheme. The first stage consists of determining operational and design constraints through parametric models that estimate the baseline energetic requirements of flight. The second phase executes a nonlinear optimization algorithm tuned to find optimal propulsion configurations in terms of the degree of hybridization, number of propellers, different wing loadings, and the setup of electric distributed propulsion (eDP) considering fuel consumption as a key metric. The results of the study indicate that solar-hybrid configurations can theoretically achieve fuel savings of up to 80% compared to conventional configurations. This leads to a significant reduction in emissions during long-endurance flights where current battery technology is not yet capable of providing sustained flight. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Conceptual Design, Modeling, and Control Strategies of Drones 3rd Edition)
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37 pages, 38902 KiB  
Article
Differentiator- and Observer-Based Feedback Linearized Advanced Nonlinear Control Strategies for an Unmanned Aerial Vehicle System
by Saqib Irfan, Liangyu Zhao, Safeer Ullah, Usman Javaid and Jamshed Iqbal
Drones 2024, 8(10), 527; https://doi.org/10.3390/drones8100527 - 26 Sep 2024
Cited by 6 | Viewed by 1146
Abstract
This paper presents novel chattering-free robust control strategies for addressing disturbances and uncertainties in a two-degree-of-freedom (2-DOF) unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) dynamic model, with a focus on the highly nonlinear and strongly coupled nature of the system. The novelty lies in the development [...] Read more.
This paper presents novel chattering-free robust control strategies for addressing disturbances and uncertainties in a two-degree-of-freedom (2-DOF) unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) dynamic model, with a focus on the highly nonlinear and strongly coupled nature of the system. The novelty lies in the development of sliding mode control (SMC), integral sliding mode control (ISMC), and terminal sliding mode control (TSMC) laws specifically tailored for the twin-rotor MIMO system (TRMS). These strategies are validated through both simulation and real-time experiments. A key contribution is the introduction of a uniform robust exact differentiator (URED) to recover rotor speed and missing derivatives, combined with a nonlinear state feedback observer to improve system observability. A feedback linearization approach, using lie derivatives and diffeomorphism principles, is employed to decouple the system into horizontal and vertical subsystems. Comparative analysis of the transient performance of the proposed controllers, with respect to metrics such as settling time, overshoot, rise time, and steady-state errors, is provided. The ISMC method, in particular, effectively mitigates the chattering issue prevalent in traditional SMC, improving both system performance and actuator longevity. Experimental results on the TRMS demonstrate the superior tracking performance and robustness of the proposed control laws in the presence of nonlinearities, uncertainties, and external disturbances. This research contributes a comprehensive control design framework with proven real-time implementation, offering significant advancements over existing methodologies. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Conceptual Design, Modeling, and Control Strategies of Drones 3rd Edition)
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31 pages, 1458 KiB  
Article
Robust Nonlinear Control with Estimation of Disturbances and Parameter Uncertainties for UAVs and Integrated Brushless DC Motors
by Claudia Verónica Vera Vaca, Stefano Di Gennaro, Claudia Carolina Vaca García and Cuauhtémoc Acosta Lúa
Drones 2024, 8(9), 447; https://doi.org/10.3390/drones8090447 - 30 Aug 2024
Viewed by 1880
Abstract
Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) have become increasingly prevalent in various applications, ranging from surveillance to package delivery. Achieving precise control of UAV position while enhancing robustness against uncertainties and disturbances remains a critical challenge. In this study, we propose a robust nonlinear control [...] Read more.
Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) have become increasingly prevalent in various applications, ranging from surveillance to package delivery. Achieving precise control of UAV position while enhancing robustness against uncertainties and disturbances remains a critical challenge. In this study, we propose a robust nonlinear control system for a UAV and its actuators, focusing on accurately controlling the position reference vector and improving robustness against parameter uncertainties and external disturbances. The control strategy employs two control loops: an outer loop for the UAV frame and an inner loop for the UAV actuators. The outer loop generates the required angular velocities for the actuators to follow the reference position vector using the UAV’s output and the inner loop ensures that the actuators track these angular velocity references. Both control loops utilize PI-like controllers for simplicity. The proposed system incorporates nonlinear control techniques and estimation strategies for disturbances and parameter variations, enabling dynamic adaptation to changing environmental conditions. Numerical simulations were performed using both Simulink® and the simulated PX4 Autopilot environment, showing the effectiveness of the proposed control system in achieving precise position control and robust performance for both the UAV and its actuators in the presence of uncertainties and disturbances. These results underscore the potential applicability of the control system in other UAV operational scenarios. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Conceptual Design, Modeling, and Control Strategies of Drones 3rd Edition)
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18 pages, 5474 KiB  
Article
Performance Estimation of Fixed-Wing UAV Propulsion Systems
by Mohamed Etewa, Ahmed F. Hassan, Ehab Safwat, Mohammed A. H. Abozied, Mohamed M. El-Khatib and Alejandro Ramirez-Serrano
Drones 2024, 8(9), 424; https://doi.org/10.3390/drones8090424 - 25 Aug 2024
Viewed by 3372
Abstract
The evaluation of propulsion systems used in UAVs is of paramount importance to enhance the flight endurance, increase the flight control performance, and minimize the power consumption. This evaluation, however, is typically performed experimentally after the preliminary hardware design of the UAV is [...] Read more.
The evaluation of propulsion systems used in UAVs is of paramount importance to enhance the flight endurance, increase the flight control performance, and minimize the power consumption. This evaluation, however, is typically performed experimentally after the preliminary hardware design of the UAV is completed, which tends to be expensive and time-consuming. In this paper, a comprehensive theoretical UAV propulsion system assessment is proposed to assess both static and dynamic performance characteristics via an integrated simulation model. The approach encompasses the electromechanical dynamics of both the motor and its controller. The proposed analytical model estimates the propeller and motor combination performance with the overarching goal of enhancing the overall efficiency of the aircraft propulsion system before expensive costs are incurred. The model embraces an advanced blade element momentum theory underpinned by the development of a novel mechanism to predict the propeller performance under low Reynolds number conditions. The propeller model utilizes XFOIL and various factors, including post-stall effects, 3D correction, Reynolds number fluctuations, and tip loss corrections to predict the corresponding aerodynamic loads. Computational fluid dynamics are used to corroborate the dynamic formulations followed by extensive experimental tests to validate the proposed estimation methodology. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Conceptual Design, Modeling, and Control Strategies of Drones 3rd Edition)
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22 pages, 13056 KiB  
Article
Finite-Time Robust Flight Control of Logistic Unmanned Aerial Vehicles Using a Time-Delay Estimation Technique
by Jinyu Ma, Shengdong Yu, Wenke Hu, Hongyuan Wu, Xiaopeng Li, Yilong Zheng, Junhui Zhang and Puhui Chen
Drones 2024, 8(2), 58; https://doi.org/10.3390/drones8020058 - 8 Feb 2024
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1881
Abstract
This paper proposes a cascaded dual closed-loop control strategy that incorporates time delay estimation and sliding mode control (SMC) to address the issue of uncertain disturbances in logistic unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) caused by ground effects, crosswind disturbances, and payloads. The control strategy [...] Read more.
This paper proposes a cascaded dual closed-loop control strategy that incorporates time delay estimation and sliding mode control (SMC) to address the issue of uncertain disturbances in logistic unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) caused by ground effects, crosswind disturbances, and payloads. The control strategy comprises a position loop and an attitude loop. The position loop, which functions as the outer loop, employs a proportional–integral–derivative (PID) sliding mode surface to eliminate steady-state error through an integral component. Conversely, the attitude loop, serving as the inner loop, utilizes a fast nonsingular terminal sliding mode approach to achieve finite-time convergence and ensure a quick system response. The time-delay estimation technique is employed for the online estimation and real-time compensation of unknown disturbances, while SMC is used to enhance the robustness of the control system. The combination of time-delay estimation and SMC offers complementary advantages. The stability of the system is proven using Lyapunov theory. Hardware-in-the-loop simulation and flight tests demonstrate that the control law can achieve a smooth and continuous output. The proposed control strategy can be effectively applied in complex scenarios, such as hovering, crash recovery, and high maneuverability flying, with significant practicality in engineering applications. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Conceptual Design, Modeling, and Control Strategies of Drones 3rd Edition)
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Review

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42 pages, 3596 KiB  
Review
Strategies for Optimized UAV Surveillance in Various Tasks and Scenarios: A Review
by Zixuan Fang and Andrey V. Savkin
Drones 2024, 8(5), 193; https://doi.org/10.3390/drones8050193 - 12 May 2024
Cited by 23 | Viewed by 5732
Abstract
This review paper provides insights into optimization strategies for Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) in a variety of surveillance tasks and scenarios. From basic path planning to complex mission execution, we comprehensively evaluate the multifaceted role of UAVs in critical areas such as infrastructure [...] Read more.
This review paper provides insights into optimization strategies for Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) in a variety of surveillance tasks and scenarios. From basic path planning to complex mission execution, we comprehensively evaluate the multifaceted role of UAVs in critical areas such as infrastructure inspection, security surveillance, environmental monitoring, archaeological research, mining applications, etc. The paper analyzes in detail the effectiveness of UAVs in specific tasks, including power line and bridge inspections, search and rescue operations, police activities, and environmental monitoring. The focus is on the integration of advanced navigation algorithms and artificial intelligence technologies with UAV surveillance and the challenges of operating in complex environments. Looking ahead, this paper predicts trends in cooperative UAV surveillance networks and explores the potential of UAVs in more challenging scenarios. This review not only provides researchers with a comprehensive analysis of the current state of the art, but also highlights future research directions, aiming to engage and inspire readers to further explore the potential of UAVs in surveillance missions. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Conceptual Design, Modeling, and Control Strategies of Drones 3rd Edition)
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