On-Line Trajectory Planning for Aerial Vehicles: A Safe Approach with Guaranteed Task Completion

Abstract

On-line trajectory optimization in three dimensional space is the main topic of the paper at hand. The high-level framework augments on-line receding horizon control with an off-line computed terminal cost that captures the global characteristics of the environment, as well as any possible mission objectives. The first part of the paper is devoted to the single vehicle case while the second part considers the problem of simultaneous arrival of multiple aerial vehicles. The main contribution of the first part is two-fold. Firstly, by augmenting a so called safety maneuver at the end of the planned trajectory, this paper extends previous results by addressing provable safety properties in a 3D setting. Secondly, assuming initial feasibility, the planning method presented is shown to have finite time task completion. Moreover, a quantitative comparison between the two competing objectives of optimality and computational tractability is made. Finally, some other key characteristics of the trajectory planner, such as ability to minimize threat exposure and robustness, are highlighted through simulations. As for the simultaneous arrival problem considered in the second part, by using a timescale separation principle, we are able to adopt standard Laplacian control to a consensus problem which is neither unconstrained, nor first order.

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