Robust trajectory optimisation for transitions of tiltwing VTOL aircraft

TL;DR

This paper introduces a robust trajectory optimization method for tiltwing VTOL aircraft transitions, combining convex optimization, tube-based nonlinear MPC, and DC functions to generate safe, optimal trajectories resilient to model errors.

Contribution

It presents a novel approach that integrates DC decomposition with convex optimization and MPC for robust trajectory planning of tiltwing VTOLs.

Findings

Generated trajectories are robust to model approximation errors.

Method ensures safe and optimal transition maneuvers.

Applied successfully to an Urban Air Mobility case study.

Abstract

We propose a method to generate robust and optimal trajectories for the transition of a tiltwing Vertical Take-Off and Landing (VTOL) aircraft leveraging concepts from convex optimisation, tube-based nonlinear Model Predictive Control (MPC) and Difference of Convex (DC) functions decomposition. The approach relies on computing DC decompositions of dynamic models in order to exploit convexity properties and develop a tractable robust optimisation that solves a sequence of convex programs converging to a local optimum of the trajectory generation problem. The algorithm developed is applied to an Urban Air Mobility case study. The resulting solutions are robust to approximation errors in dynamic models and provide safe trajectories for aggressive transition manoeuvres at constant altitude.