Attitude Control Enhancement Using Wing Load Sensing

ABSTRACT: Aurora proposes to develop a"Proprioceptive Wing"concept designed to measure and feedback wing forces, thereby enabling"load servoing", or modulation of control surfaces to achieve desired wing moments and/or forces. By implementing a feedback loop on the actual force or moment output of the lifting surface, this concept has the potential to provide higher bandwidth rejection of gusts and other disturbances by reducing measurement latencies and using feedback to provide robustness to aerodynamic uncertainties. Such uncertainties can occur due to operation in complex aerodynamic regimes, (e.g. low Reynolds (Re) number effects such as separation bubbles, vortex lift, stalled surfaces, or complex interacting surfaces), incomplete modeling, or aerodynamic surface damage. Aurora will validate the concept as originally described by AFRL, and also test a number of novel, proprietary extensions. Innovative sensors from UMD will also be investigated. BENEFIT: Methods for SUAV flight in gusty environments are among the key technologies for future SUAVs performing military operations. The need for more stable, robust flight of MAVs and SUAVs is clear to anyone who has tested or used these vehicles at low speeds (for urban maneuvering, perch, or hover-and-stare operations) in windy or gusty situations these operations are very challenging and performance stands to be significantly improved by Proprioceptive Wings. Aurora"s commitment to, and experience in, quickly fielding new vehicles will greatly increase the probability of transition of the Proprioceptive Wing concept to operational vehicles with enhanced capabilities. Given the necessity for these systems and the general nature of the gust rejection and aerodynamic robustness problem, Aurora foresees rapid development and aggressive marketing of the architecture developed under this program.