Three-dimensional Trajectory Optimization for Quadrotor Tail-sitter UAVs: Traversing through Given Waypoints

Given the evolving application scenarios of current fixed-wing unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), it is necessary for UAVs to possess agile and rapid 3-dimensional flight capabilities. Typically, the trajectory of a tail-sitter is generated separately for vertical and level flights. This limits the tail-sitter's ability to move in a 3-dimensional airspace and makes it difficult to establish a smooth transition between vertical and level flights. In the present work, a 3-dimensional trajectory optimization method is proposed for quadrotor tail-sitters. Especially, the differential dynamics constraints are eliminated when generating the trajectory of the tail-sitter by utilizing differential flatness method. Additionally, the temporal parameters of the trajectory are generated using the state-of-the-art trajectory generation method called MINCO (minimum control). Subsequently, we convert the speed constraint on the vehicle into a soft constraint by discretizing the trajectory in time. This increases the likelihood that the control input limits are satisfied and the trajectory is feasible. Then, we utilize a kind of model predictive control (MPC) method to track trajectories. Even if restricting the tail-sitter's motion to a 2-dimensional horizontal plane, the solutions still outperform those of the L1 Guidance Law and Dubins path.