UAV Conflict Detection and Resolution for Static and Dynamic Obstacles

Abstract

Conflict Detection and Resolution (CD&R) for Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) has become important consideration with remarkable development of sensor technology and autonomous control system. Since CD&R deals with safety of UAVs and aircraft, it has to be validated by rigorous analytical verification. This paper investigates the application of differential geometry to UAV CD&R algorithm for non-cooperating intruders such as static and dynamic obstacles. Two-dimensional geometry is used to detect a single conflict and multiple conflicts, and find the condition for resolution guidance. The existence and stability of the conflict resolution, which controls either heading angle only or heading angle and ground speed simultaneously, are then analysed. Whilst there exist region which the UAV can not resolve due to its physical and operational limitations as every CD&R algorithms, the resolution guidance can find the region and prove local stability using Lyapunov theory. The analysis and resolution guidance design do not rely on local linearisation and can be shown that the derived conflict resolution is equivalent concepts to Proportional Navigation Guidance (PNG) and Traffic alert and Collision Avoidance Systems (TCAS). The paper finishes with numerical simulation in two dimensions, illustrating the performance and properties of the proposed CD&R algorithm.