Robust flight control system design of a fixed wing UAV using optimal dynamic programming

Innovative design intricacies of new generation of UAVs, necessitate formulation of control laws utilizing intelligent techniques which are independent of underlying dynamic model besides being robust to changing environment. In current research, a novel control architecture is presented for maximizing glide range of the UAV which bears an unconventional design. To handle the control complexities emerging due to the unique design of the UAV, a distinct RL technique named ’optimal dynamic programming’ is proposed which besides being computationally acceptable also effectively controls the entire flight regime of the UAV. The proposed methodology has been specifically modified to configure the problem in continuous state and control space domains. The efficacy of the results and performance characteristics, demonstrated the ability of the presented algorithm to dynamically adapt to the changing environment, thereby making it suitable for UAV applications. Nonlinear simulations performed under different environmental conditions demonstrated the effectiveness of the proposed methodology over the conventional classical approaches.