Optimal predictive steering control for autonomous runway exits

In this paper, we present a real-time optimal controller, Predictive Steering Control (PSC), to perform high-speed runway exit manoeuvres. PSC is developed based on a time-varying LQR with look-ahead. The aircraft’s ground dynamics are described by a high-fidelity nonlinear model. The proposed controller is compared with an Expert Pilot Model (EPM), which represents a pilot, in several different speed runway exit manoeuvres. With an improved road preview mechanism and optimal feedback gain, the predictive steering controller outperforms the expert pilot’s manual operations by executing the runway exit manoeuvre with a lower track error. To investigate the optimality of PSC, its solution is further optimised using a numerical optimal controller Generalized Optimal Control (GOC). PSC is shown to be close to the final optimal solution. To study robustness, PSC is tested with various aircraft configurations, road conditions and disturbances. The simulation results show that PSC is robust to disturbances within a normal range of operational parameters.