Velocity estimation of a rotary wing unmanned aerial vehicle using a laser Doppler anemometer

Kurzfassung

Conventional pitot-static and GNSS sensors on unmanned aerial vehicles are vulnerable to rotor downwash, adverse weather, and signal loss. To address these limitations, we developed a compact, single-channel laser Doppler anemometer optimized for size, weight, and power (3kg–3.3kg, 30W) as an optical air data sensor. Flight tests conducted on a rotary-wing UAV at the German Aerospace Center’s laser open beam path demonstrate that a polarization-based optical architecture significantly mitigates vibration-induced phase noise compared to standard circulator designs. The system successfully demonstrates simultaneous line-of-sight airspeed and ground speed estimation, providing a viable optical alternative for robust flight state monitoring.