Intelligent Control For Autonomous Remote Spacecraft

In Phase I we developed, integrated, and demonstrated a real-time adaptive navigation system, and a companion real-time adaptive guidance system for UAVs. The underlying project goal is to provide an aircraft with the capability to autonomously reroute itself in real time through dynamic hazard environments and still achieve its mission objectives. The adaptive naviagtion system uses an evolutionary algorithm to determine a set of waypoints which define an optimal discrete path between the current position and the final desired position. The waypoint location search space is constrained such that calculation of the performance index is very fast. The adaptive guidance module uses an adaptive critic to generate smooth, realizable paths between the waypoints. The critic utilizes information gathered off-line about the closed loop system to adapt the natural frequencies of a system of second order smoothing filters. The smoothing filters accept a series of step inputs (the waypoints) and output smooth paths between the waypoints. During the proposed Phase II STTR program we will take development of the system to the next level including analyzing its stability characteristics. The Phase II will culminate with an actual flight test demonstration/verification of the system on one of AACs research UAVs.