Oscillatory control for constant-speed unicycle-type vehicles

The work in this paper addresses a method for relating the dynamics of a constant-speed planar unicycle vehicle to another dynamical model that is less constrained. A constant-speed model is appropriate for Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs), as their airspeed range is often significantly constrained. An oscillatory regulator is examined that controls a limit-cycle behavior. The regulator is based on the idea of defining a center of oscillation (CO) and using a parameterized oscillatory input to produce desirable CO dynamics. This definition allows the CO to be modeled in its own right, and its dynamics are subject to fewer constraints than those of the original vehicle. The CO can then be controlled using any of a variety of outer-loop controllers. Results are demonstrated in simulation for a particular choice of outer-loop controller.