Platformone UAV Navigation has developed a model-agnostic hardwarein-the-loop (HiL) simulator that can be used with third-party models from other developers (writes Nick Flaherty). Simulation can be the workhorse of UAV development, as it is several orders of magnitude quicker and cheaper than real-life tests. The key to a successful simulation environment is to have models that faithfully represent the behaviours of the system being emulated. However, there are some cases where a parametric model cannot capture all the complexity of the platform, or the system integrator already has a working simulation model and integrating it into a HiL is an unnecessary effort. The model-agnostic hardware-in-the-loop (MAHiL) simulator developed by UAV Navigation, part of Grupo Oesia in Spain, allows developers to use their own simulation models in the UAV Navigation simulator environment. The MAHiL simulator uses the same hardware as the regular UAV Navigation-Grupo Oesia HiL simulator. In a standard HiL, the hardware comprises two separate units, FCC (Flight Control Computer) and SIM (Simulator). The FCC is a fully capable Vector-600, like the one flying the real aircraft. The SIM is dedicated to computing the simulation model and sensor data fusion emulation for the navigation solution. A User Datagram Protocol interface has been developed that allows the HiL to receive sensor data from the external MAHiL simulator at the same rate as from the actual sensors on the Vector-600. On the same interface, the MAHiL reports the control vectors from the Vector-600 board with the actuator commands. Sensor readings are fed into UAV Navigation’s sensor fusion algorithm, generating a navigation solution for the guidance and control laws for the FCC to use, just as the real system does. The MAHiL simulator has been developed to be compatible with MATLAB software and SpeedGoat hardware model-based simulation. Its compatibility has been tested in a real-time environment, proving its suitability for meaningful simulation results while greatly reducing adaptation complexity. One advantage of this set-up is the flexibility the designer has to introduce changes to the platform’s design or its physical simulation model. No interaction with UAV Navigation is required to introduce changes, as this is still developed in its preferred simulation environment. Everything is achieved while retaining the core HiL capability, as Vector-600 logic runs on the same hardware and software versions as in real flight scenarios. Airborne vehicles Own-model simulator Dr DonoughWilson Dr Wilson is innovation lead at aviation, defence, and homeland security innovation consultants, VIVID/futureVision. His defence innovations include the cockpit vision system that protects military aircrew from asymmetric high-energy laser attack. He was first to propose the automatic tracking and satellite download of airliner black box and cockpit voice recorder data in the event of an airliner’s unplanned excursion from its assigned flight level or track. For his ‘outstanding and practical contribution to the safer operation of aircraft’ he was awarded The Sir James Martin Award 2018/19, by the Honourable Company of Air Pilots. Paul Weighell Paul has been involved with electronics, computer design and programming since 1966. He has worked in the real-time and failsafe data acquisition and automation industry using mainframes, minis, micros and cloudbased hardware on applications as diverse as defence, Siberian gas pipeline control, UK nuclear power, robotics, the Thames Barrier, Formula One and automated financial trading systems. IanWilliams-Wynn Ian has been involved with uncrewed and autonomous systems for more than 20 years. He started his career in the military, working with early prototype uncrewed systems and exploiting imagery from a range of systems from global suppliers. He has also been involved in ground-breaking research including novel power and propulsion systems, sensor technologies, communications, avionics and physical platforms. His experience covers a broad spectrum of domains from space, air, maritime and ground, and in both defence and civil applications including, more recently, connected autonomous cars. Professor James Scanlan Professor Scanlan is the director of the Strategic Research Centre in Autonomous Systems at the University of Southampton, in the UK. He also co-directs the Rolls-Royce University Technical Centre in design at Southampton. He has an interest in design research, and in particular how complex systems (especially aerospace systems) can be optimised. More recently, he established a group at Southampton that undertakes research into uncrewed aircraft systems. He produced the world’s first ‘printed aircraft’, the SULSA, which was flown by the Royal Navy in the Antarctic in 2016. He also led the team that developed the ULTRA platform, the largest UK commercial UAV, which has flown BVLOS extensively in the UK. He is a qualified full-size aircraft pilot and also has UAV flight qualifications. Uncrewed Systems Technology’s consultants 17 Uncrewed Systems Technology | June/July 2023
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