Control of a Gun-Launched MAV for Scene Observation*

The focus of this paper is on the presentation of a hybrid projectile/MAV concept, namely the Gun-Launched Micro Air Vehicle (GLMAV), with a particular attention on the control strategy used for the hovering flight. The main objective of this concept is the remote observation of hazardous or inaccessible environments, especially for the protection of citizens and vital infrastructures and networks. Prior to its principal use as a standard MAV with two bladed coaxial counter-rotating rotors, the MAV is packaged as a projectile that is launched with the energy delivered by a portable weapon.The first part of the paper gives a description of the GLMAV concept as well as a complete nonlinear mathematical model for hover and near-hover flight. The second part of the paper emphases on nonlinear control strategies for the hover and near-hover flight, particularly backstepping control. The effectiveness of the proposed approaches is illustrated and discussed with some simulations and experimental results.