A Continuum Deformation Approach to Unmanned Aircraft Traffic Management

该项目将开发数学基础，以安全有效地协调无人机系统（UAS）的交通，设想在城市中心上空进行常规飞行。 根据新兴的UAS交通管理（UTM）标准，专用的过境空域层将确保UAS与有人驾驶飞机交通分离，使UAS专注于相互协调。 该项目是一种基于物理的两层方法，通过高密度空域过境通道将UAS作为协调流进行路由。 在最高的“宏观”协调层，UAS将根据它们的目的地和相互协调飞行路径的物理能力被分配给交通通道。 在“微观”协调层，现有的连续变形协作控制策略将被扩展，以允许大规模的无人机系统组有效地遵循尊重空域通道几何形状的路线，并得到避免碰撞的数学保证。 该项目还定义了宏观和微观层之间的接口，以弹性方式处理不可预测的事件和UAS故障。该项目的理论成果将得到大规模模拟和飞行实验的支持。 该项目为无人机系统（UAS）交通管理提供了一种物理启发的交通协调方法。以前应用于公路交通流的可用物理启发的方法将扩展到低空UAS交通协调，其中不存在预定义的路径。空域被认为是一个有限的控制体积，其中协调的无人机系统作为一个连续体变形组织交通流的空域通道规定的更高层次的宏观协调。欧拉连续介质力学有效地将宏观协调定义为具有时空参数的抛物型偏微分方程（PDE）的解。假设在规划空域内运行的飞行器允许名义上的协调，而在非规划空域内运行的飞行器则是禁飞区和非合作的UAS。在微观层次上，建议基于车辆性能限制对车辆进行聚类。UAS集群将每个UAS视为可变形体的一个粒子，使用广义主从连续变形协调，通过局部通信获得所需的宏观协调。通过放宽对Agent间通信拓扑和领导者位置的限制，推进了现有的理论。该项目的方法通过正式的安全分析提供了对飞行器故障和空域可用性快速变化的恢复能力。具体而言，将开发自适应边界控制算法，以从规划空域的安全协调信道中移除不合作或失败的UAS。 大规模的模拟和飞行试验将被用来完善模型和验证协调概念。该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并已被认为是值得通过使用基金会的智力价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估的支持。

This project will develop mathematical foundations to safely and efficiently coordinate the Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) traffic envisioned to routinely fly above urban centers. Per emerging UAS Traffic Management (UTM) standards, a dedicated transit airspace layer will assure UAS are separated from manned aircraft traffic allowing UAS to focus on coordinating with each other. The project is for a two-layer physics-based approach to route UAS as coordinated flow through high-density airspace transit channels. At the top "macroscopic" coordination layer, UAS will be assigned to traffic channels based on their destinations and physical ability to coordinate flight paths with each other. At the "microscopic" coordination layer, the existing continuum deformation cooperative control strategy will be extended to allow large-scale UAS groups to efficiently follow routes that respect airspace channel geometries backed by mathematical guarantees of collision avoidance. The project also defines an interface between macroscopic and microscopic layers to deal with unpredicted events and UAS failure in a resilient fashion. The theoretical achievements of the project will be supported by large-scale simulations and flight experiments. The project offers a physics-inspired traffic coordination approach for Unmanned Aircraft System (UAS) traffic management. The available physics-inspired approaches previously applied to highway traffic flow will be extended for low-altitude UAS traffic coordination in which no predefined paths exist. Airspace is considered a finite control volume in which coordinated UAS treated as a continuum deformation organize traffic flow within airspace channels prescribed by higher-level macroscopic coordination. Eulerian continuum mechanics efficiently defines macroscopic coordination as the solution of a parabolic partial differential equation (PDE) with spatiotemporal parameters. It is assumed vehicles operating in the planned airspace admit the nominal coordination, while unplanned airspace envelops no-fly zones and non-cooperative UAS. At the microscopic level, clustering vehicles is suggested based on vehicle performance limits. UAS clusters, with each UAS treated as a particle of a deformable body, use generalized leader-follower continuum deformation coordination to acquire the desired macroscopic coordination by local communication. This advances the existing theory by relaxing constraints on inter-agent communication topology and leaders' locations. The project's approach offers resilience to vehicle failures and rapid changes in airspace availability by formal safety analysis. Specifically, an adaptive boundary control algorithm will be developed to remove a non-cooperative or failed UAS from safely-coordinated channels in planned airspace. Large-scale simulations and flight tests will be used to refine models and validate coordination concepts.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.