Technical Activities Execution with a TiltRotor UAS Employing Explicit Model Predictive Control

An innovative application field for Unmanned Aerial Systems (UASs) is the subject of this paper. The aerial robotic execution of technical activities based on autonomous aerial platforms poses important challenges, as realistic industrial activities are physically demanding. Typical environment-modifying tasks, such as surface grinding, require the exertion of significant forces in order to be successfully executed. For such purposes, the exploitation of thrustvectoring actuation is proposed, and a methodology for achieving longitudinal force exertion while retaining safe operation is developed, relying on the platform’s exceptional actuation features, a piecewise-affine representation of the system modes, and an explicit model predictive control scheme. The experimental demonstration of the proposed strategy is conducted utilizing a compound UAS, consisting of a high-end tilt-rotor vehicle, mounted with an end-effector which carries a motorized tool customized for surface grinding tasks.