In this work we test the concept of intercepting a moving target with a quadrotor while using classical guidance laws originally developed in the field of missile guidance.
First, the dominant factors at play in an engagement between a quadrotor interceptor and a constant-speed non-maneuvering adversary, with similar speed capabilities, are analyzed. Thrust-to-weight requirements are derived in the processes of finding bounds on the ability of a quadrotor to maintain constant speed or acceleration, features which are sometimes desirable when solving a guidance problem. Next, several guidance laws are adapted from two well-known guidance principals with the purpose of addressing some of the key characteristics of the engagement and interceptor platform in question.
The key characteristics are low-speed/low-range engagements, thrust of the same order of magnitude as gravity and thrust dynamics which are quicker than angular dynamics of the quadrotor body. Next, the guidance laws are calibrated and tested in a simulated environment and scenarios are gradually scaled down to the size of our lab exposing geometric constraints which are critical when designing lab testing procedures. Finally,
a sub-set of the guidance laws are exhaustively tested in the lab. The results both validate the simulation and provide insight into critical real-world issues related to guidance with a quadrotor.
