<abstract xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml">

<p>Artificial potential fields (APFs) are a popular method of planning and controlling the path of robot movement, including unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). However, in the case of nonholonomic robots such as fixed-wing UAVs, the distribution of velocity vectors should be adapted to their limited manoeuvrability to ensure stable and precise position tracking. The previously proposed local asymmetrical potential field resolves this issue, but it is not effective in the case of windy environments, where the UAV is unable to maintain the desired position and drifts due to the wind drift effect. This is reflected in the growth of position error, which, similar to the steady-state error in the best case, is constant. To compensate for it, the asymmetrical potential field approach is modified by extending definitions of potential function gradient and velocity vector field (VVF) with elements based on the integral of position tracking error. In the case of wind drift, the value of this integral increases over time, and lengths and orientations of velocity vectors will also be changed. The work proves that redefining gradient and velocity vector as a function of position tracking error integrals allows for minimisation of the position tracking error caused by wind drift.</p>
</abstract>

Artificial potential fields (APFs) are a popular method of planning and controlling the path of robot movement, including unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). However, in the case of nonholonomic robots such as fixed-wing UAVs, the distribution of velocity vectors should be adapted to their limited manoeuvrability to ensure stable and precise position tracking. The previously proposed local asymmetrical potential field resolves this issue, but it is not effective in the case of windy environments, where the UAV is unable to maintain the desired position and drifts due to the wind drift effect. This is reflected in the growth of position error, which, similar to the steady-state error in the best case, is constant. To compensate for it, the asymmetrical potential field approach is modified by extending definitions of potential function gradient and velocity vector field (VVF) with elements based on the integral of position tracking error. In the case of wind drift, the value of this integral increases over time, and lengths and orientations of velocity vectors will also be changed. The work proves that redefining gradient and velocity vector as a function of position tracking error integrals allows for minimisation of the position tracking error caused by wind drift.

Self-Adaptive Asymmetrical Artificial Potential Field Approach Dedicated to the Problem of Position Tracking by Nonholonomic UAVs in Windy Enivroments

Department of Robotics and Mechatronics, Faculty of Mechanical Engineering

Acta Mechanica et Automatica

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.

Artificial potential fields (APFs) are a popular method of planning and controlling the path of robot movement, including unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs)....

Self-Adaptive Asymmetrical Artificial Potential Field Approach Dedicated to the Problem of Position Tracking by Nonholonomic UAVs in Windy Enivroments

Published Online: May 15, 2021

Page range: 37 - 46

Received: May 26, 2020

Accepted: Apr 30, 2021

DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/ama-2021-0006

Keywords
artificial potential field, asymmetrical potential field, position tracking, UAV, self-adaptive potential field

© 2021 Cezary Kownacki, published by Sciendo

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.

Self-Adaptive Asymmetrical Artificial Potential Field Approach Dedicated to the Problem of Position Tracking by Nonholonomic UAVs in Windy Enivroments

Published Online: May 15, 2021

Page range: 37 - 46

Received: May 26, 2020

Accepted: Apr 30, 2021

DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/ama-2021-0006

Keywordsartificial potential field, asymmetrical potential field, position tracking, UAV, self-adaptive potential field

© 2021 Cezary Kownacki, published by Sciendo

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.

Keywords
artificial potential field, asymmetrical potential field, position tracking, UAV, self-adaptive potential field