Sensor Guided Flight for Unmanned Air Vehicles

Toyon Research Corporation proposes to develop advanced algorithms to enable Sensor Guided Flight (SGF) by small fixed-wing Unmanned Air Vehicles (UAVs). SGF is understood as the ability for a UAV''s sensing system to automatically request a platform position and attitude that maximizes sensor performance. It includes the ability to monitor viewing conditions for sensor tasks, assess whether the sensor system parameters and platform position and attitude most optimal for those viewing conditions, and, if not, compute and recommend preferred parameters and platform state for best quality imagery for those viewing conditions. Toyon''s SGF algorithms shall use a joint UAV routing and sensor optimization technique that tightly couples the platform and sensor dynamics and controls. Optimality is measured in terms of maximizing the number of pixels on target while avoiding visibility obscurations due to buildings, terrain, etc.