UAVs and Simulation: an Experience on MAVs

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to report the research activity of Politecnico di Torino concerning the MicroHawk platform (micro-aerial vehicles – MAVs) and to present the design and the development of a basic flight simulator for educational/training purpose. Design/methodology/approach – A simulator is an easy-to-use system for the analysis of maneuver response, the dynamic study and the evaluation of the aircraft flying and handling qualities for different aircraft categories. The software implementation, including the definition of mathematical model, the visual scenario and the real-time data analysis graphic interface, are delineated in this paper. In addition to this experimental phase, an important effort is done to incorporate simulation into the autopilot tuning process. Findings – An intense flight activity is carried out to test the flight control system performances of the MicroHawk platform and to establish general procedures to ensure the correct operation of all subsystems. The automatic flight of MAVs has been studied with success for territorial surveillance and map project. Research limitations/implications – In order to simplify the use of these platforms by the end-user, a software interface will be designed to calculate automatically the flight plan, ensuring the desired trajectory design and collision avoidance. Originality/value – The autopilot simulation integrated with vehicle's dynamics can be used to reduce the platform set-up time and the risk of losing the prototype. The simulator training permits to study flight complex plane, in order to obtain better platform performances in real conditions. Starting from a simple scenario, it is possible to set up and upgrade the mission at any time during the simulation.