A Hybrid Dynamic Window Approach for Collision Avoidance of VTOL UAVs

Abstract

This paper describes an obstacle collision avoidance technique that considers the dynamics of a VTOL UAV. The dynamic characteristics and controller structure of VTOL UAVs such as helicopters and tiltrotors vary greatly depending on the flight condition. This paper proposes a hybrid dynamic window approach (DWA) which combines a holonomic DWA, non-holonomic DWA and the flight dynamics of a helicopter to avoid collisions with obstacles. Based on the results of obstacle avoidance simulations, the proposed method not only quickly reaches the target point along the optimal path in various obstacle environments but also is superior to the existing DWA without falling into the local minima by expanding the search space from two dimensions to three dimensions.