A UAV Model Parameter Identification Method: a Simulation Study

Dynamics modeling of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) is an essential step for design and evaluation of an UAV system. Many advanced control strategies for nonlinear dynamical or robotic systems which are applicable to UAVs depend upon known dynamics models. The accuracy of a model depends not only on the mathematical formulae or computational algorithm of the model but also on the values of model parameters. Many model parameters are very difficult to measure for a given UAV. This paper presents the results of a simulation based study of an in-flight model parameter identification method. Assuming the motion state of a flying UAV is directly or indirectly measureable, the method can identify the unknown inertia parameters of the UAV. Using the recursive least-square technique, the method is capable of updating the model parameters of the UAV while the vehicle is in flight. A scheme of estimating an upper bound of the identification error in terms of the input data errors (or sensor errors) is also discussed.

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