Publication

Abstract : paper presents the optimal path generation algorithm for fixed-wing unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) in three-dimensional space (3D) when the initial and final positions and orientations of the vehicle are specified. The problem is very much relevant in the context of waypoint following problem where the UAVs are required to fly through the number of waypoints specified by the given mission. The generated path considers the limit on the turn radius of the vehicle, which arises from the kinematic constraints of the fixed-wing UAVs. It is assumed that the vehicle is flying at a constant airspeed throughout the mission. As the values of minimum turn radiuses are different in different 2D planes of the 3D space, path generation is more challenging compared to existing works in literature. The method presented here is based on 3D geometry and path is of CSC (Circular arc of minimum turn radius of the initial maneuver plane-Straight line-Circular arc of minimum turn radius of the final maneuver plane) types for sufficiently large distances between initial and final positions. The computational time of the proposed approach is considerably low, which makes it implementable in real time.