Executive Summary
This thesis details the design and evaluation of a digital flight control system for the FROG Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV), a testbed at the Naval Postgraduate School. It replaces a low-performance electromechanical autopilot to improve responsiveness. The project developed and tested an off-board digital controller, identifying and mitigating command uplink latency issues that caused instability.
Why It Matters
This document is crucial for defense analysts interested in UAV control systems, highlighting the challenges of integrating advanced digital controls and the critical impact of latency on system stability and performance. It provides insights into the practical development and testing of military drone technology.
Key Takeaways
- A digital flight control system was developed for the FROG UAV to replace an outdated electromechanical autopilot, aiming for improved responsiveness.
- Significant command uplink latency (170 ms) was identified as a critical issue, causing flight controller instability, which was partially mitigated to 76 ms.
- The developed flight controller could only tolerate a maximum of 50 ms command path delay without modification, indicating a need for further latency reduction or robust control design.
- The FROG UAV serves as a testbed for advanced control and sensor projects at the Naval Postgraduate School.
Strategic Relevance
The development of robust and responsive digital flight control systems is fundamental to advancing military UAV capabilities, enabling more agile and autonomous operations. Understanding latency challenges and mitigation strategies is critical for future drone design and deployment in contested environments.