Intelligent Integrated Sensor, Control and Maneuver Mapping Architecture For Autonomous Vehicle Rendezvous and Docking

The main aim of this paper is to design and develop a conceptual Intelligent Integrated Sensor, Control and Maneuver Mapping Architecture that would enable teams of Unmanned Aerial/Ground Vehicles to translate practical high level commands to low level optimal maneuver sequences. A low level controller is then invoked to track these maneuvers. The proposed architecture can find its application in several different platforms such as aerial refueling, spacecraft docking and aerial arresting of small UAVs by large aircraft. The mapping architecture will reside in the target vehicle and guide the approaching vehicle to the rendezvous or docking position when the approaching vehicle does not have or has lost the capability of achieving the task by itself. A prototypical UAV aerial refueling problem is studied in this framework.

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