Integrated fire/flight control coupler design for armed helicopters based on improved non-monotone adaptive trust region algorithm with distributionally robust optimization

Abstract

Aiming at enhancing the extent of military automatization and the effectiveness of armed helicopters in complex battlefield environment, integrated fire/flight control (IFFC) coupler connects the fire control system and the flight control system which is used to generate the optimal flight command signals. However, it is difficult to obtain satisfactory flight command signals within a certain firing accuracy due to the unavoidable uncertain information in battlefield environment. In this paper, a new IFFC scheme is proposed for armed helicopters against complex combat by using the idea of distributionally robust optimization combined with the framework of trust region. Initially, a vector equation and coordinate transformation are employed to acquire the relative motion model of the IFFC coupler problem in complex battlefield environment. Moreover, an improved performance index is designed according to the constraints, and the original non-convex problem is handled by the Taylor formula combined with an improved BFGS (Broyden–Fletcher–Goldfard–Shanno) algorithm. Considering the uncertain parameters during optimization, the non-linear distributionally robust optimization is transformed into a linear matrix inequality optimization problem based on the worst-case conditional value-at-risk (WC-CVaR) approximation. Then, an algorithmic framework with a non-monotone adaptive trust region algorithm is given to obtain the optimal flight command signals. Finally, a simulation example is given to illustrate the effectiveness of the proposed approach.

Design and Control of an Ultra-Low-Cost Logistic Delivery Fixed-Wing UAV

“…To validate the performance and effectiveness of the target recognition system in this study, we purchased unopened 500 mL bottles of water that met the national standard to be used as simulated small packages. In an open field, different targets, both stationary and moving, with different shapes, colors, and textures, as well as some occlusions and interferences, were set up as strike targets for the UAV [75]. The model aircraft was allowed to reconnoiter, identify, and strike the targets in an autonomous flight state, and the flight trajectories of the UAV, the results of the image recognition, the angles and times of the throws, and the effects of the strikes were recorded.…”