Landing of a Fixed-wing UAV on a Mobile Ground Vehicle

Abstract

The development of solar-powered high-altitude UAV has gained increasing attention in the recent years. Several aircraft have had successful flights in the stratosphere, but despite advances in lightweight design they can only carry small payloads compared to the total takeoff mass. This paper suggests to eliminate the need for a landing gear by landing on a mobile ground vehicle. This would not only increase the payload capacity, but also simplify landings in crosswind conditions and thus increase the operational availability. A system with a small UAV and a car-mounted landing platform is prepared as a technology demonstrator. Different aspects of the landing problem are studied in simulations and real experiments and algorithms for the cooperative control of both vehicles are proposed. Simulations as well as experiments with the real car and a simulated UAV show the feasibility of such landings.