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Full-Text Articles in Engineering

A Java Universal Vehicle Router In Support Of Routing Unmanned Aerial Vehicles, Robert W. Harder Mar 2000

A Java Universal Vehicle Router In Support Of Routing Unmanned Aerial Vehicles, Robert W. Harder

Theses and Dissertations

Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) help the military gather information in times of peace and war. During a mission, typically 100 sites or more, a UAV will frequently be re-tasked to visit a pop-up threat, leaving the operator to determine the best way to finish the day's list of sites after the re-tasking. I develop a prototype application to serve the needs of a specific customer, the 11th Reconnaissance Squadron, by helping them preplan missions and dynamically re-task UAVs. This prototype application is built on a reusable airframe router called the core AFIT Router, which can later be added to more …


Dynamic Route Replanning And Retasking Of Unmanned Aerial Reconnaissance Vehicles, David E. Pritchard Mar 2000

Dynamic Route Replanning And Retasking Of Unmanned Aerial Reconnaissance Vehicles, David E. Pritchard

Theses and Dissertations

Many common operational situations in High Altitude Endurance (HAE) UAV reconnaissance necessitate more direct human involvement in the aircraft control process than is currently acknowledged or allowed. The In-Flight Replanning System (IFRS) is developed as a notional solution, with the Global Hawk HAE UAV as the reconnaissance system model. Problematic scenarios for current in-flight mission replanning systems are presented and revisited with the IFRS, demonstrating improved replanning results.


Improving Uav Handling Qualities Using Time Delay Compensation, Andrew J. Thurling Mar 2000

Improving Uav Handling Qualities Using Time Delay Compensation, Andrew J. Thurling

Theses and Dissertations

This research investigated control loop time delay and its effect on UAV handling qualities. Compensation techniques to improve handling qualities in the presence of varying amounts of time delay were developed and analyzed. One technique was selected and successfully flight-tested on a UAV. Flight-testing occurred at a constant flight condition with varying levels of additional time delay introduced into the control loop. Research pilots performed a pitch tracking task and gave Cooper-Harper ratings and comments. Tracking errors were used as a quantitative measure of Pilot/Display/UAV system performance. Predictive pitch compensation was found to significantly reduce pilot workload and improve Cooper-Harper …