A novel metric for detecting quadrotor loss-of-control

TL;DR

This paper introduces a new actuator-based metric for detecting loss-of-control in quadrotors, effective in both simulated and real flights, capable of identifying faults and nuanced control issues without prior failure knowledge.

Contribution

A novel, generalizable metric based on actuator capabilities for detecting loss-of-control in quadrotors, applicable to other autonomous systems.

Findings

Successfully detects LOC caused by actuator faults.

Identifies control loss during aggressive maneuvers.

Effective in both simulated and real flight data.

Abstract

Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) are becoming an integral part of both industry and society. In particular, the quadrotor is now invaluable across a plethora of fields and recent developments, such as the inclusion of aerial manipulators, only extends their versatility. As UAVs become more widespread, preventing loss-of-control (LOC) is an ever growing concern. Unfortunately, LOC is not clearly defined for quadrotors, or indeed, many other autonomous systems. Moreover, any existing definitions are often incomplete and restrictive. A novel metric, based on actuator capabilities, is introduced to detect LOC in quadrotors. The potential of this metric for LOC detection is demonstrated through both simulated and real quadrotor flight data. It is able to detect LOC induced by actuator faults without explicit knowledge of the occurrence and nature of the failure. The proposed metric is also sensitive enough to detect LOC in more nuanced cases, where the quadrotor remains undamaged but nevertheless losses control through an aggressive yawing manoeuvre. As the metric depends only on system and actuator models, it is sufficiently general to be applied to other systems.