Abstract: A method for controlling an overdetermined system with multiple actuators, for example an aircraft (1) with multiple propulsion units (3). The actuators perform at least one primary task and at least one non-primary task, including: a) determining a pseudo-control command up?p? based on a physical model of the system, which command represents the torques (L, M, N) and a total thrust force (F) acting on the system, b) determining a control matrix D, D?p?×k according to up=Du, where u1=D?1upu1?k represents a control command for the actuators to perform the primary task, c) projecting the non-primary task into the null space N(D) of the primary task, so that Du2=0 if u2u2?k represents a control command for the actuators to perform the non-primary task, and d) providing the control commands from b) and c) to the actuators. In this way, the solution of the primary task is not adversely affected by the non-primary task or its solution.

Abstract: A method for controlling a aircraft with a plurality of drive units, in particular a plurality of electrical drive units, and a controller for flight control. At least one lateral control signal is entered into the controller for flight control in order to initiate a lateral movement of the aircraft. The significant point is that a speed (V) of the aircraft is ascertained through a speed estimation (6) and, depending on the estimated airspeed (V), a commanded roll angle (?C) and a commanded pitch angle (?c), a rate of turn ({dot over (?)}) is calculated. The lateral movement is automatically initiated with the calculated rate of turn ({dot over (?)}) through input of the lateral control signal.

Abstract: A method of controlling an aircraft having multiple configurations is provided, wherein each configuration is controlled by a different control law implemented by a flight control device and transition from one configuration to another configuration is achieved by gradually blending out a control law for one configuration and by gradually increasing an impact of a control law for another configuration in the flight control device based on an estimated flight condition of the aircraft by dynamically adjusting, in the flight control device, respective maximum and minimum limit values of control volumes, which control volumes are defined by parameter ranges of control parameters in connection with a corresponding control law for the one configuration and for the other configuration, respectively.

Abstract: Method of verifying data communication integrity in an aircraft which has first and second data generating and sending entities. Data generated at the first entity is sent to the second entity as messages via a number of intermediate entities. The data communication is a blockchain with blocks, each being added to the blockchain by one of the entities and including a cryptographic hash representative of the prior block, thus linking the blocks. The method includes: a) logging a message subgroup and cryptographic hash at one or more of the first, second and intermediate entities; b) collecting message logs from each entity for verification; c) comparing messages sent by the first entity and messages received by the second entity; and d) if not all messages have arrived at said second entity, comparing message logs of intermediate entity(ies) with the message log of the first entity to identify where loss occurred.

Abstract: A method of controlling a transition aircraft having actuators and which transitions between a first take-off/landing regime and a second horizontal flight regime, including: controlling a first actuator subset in the first regime and a second actuator subset in the second regime using the flight controller, by: a) providing measurements or estimates of flight parameters; b) depending on a current regime, checking whether a predefined set of conditions for that regime are fulfilled, by comparing flight parameters with threshold values; c) if conditions are fulfilled, signalling a decision-maker and awaiting confirmation regarding a transition to the other regime; d) instructing the flight controller to make the transition if approved; e) after transitioning in step d), commanding the aircraft according to the other regime; and f) returning to step a). Step e) includes gradually blending in a control law for the other regime over time while blending out the current regime.

Abstract: A method for monitoring a condition of a VTOL-aircraft (1), preferably an electrically propelled, more particularly an autonomous, more particularly a multi-rotor aircraft, with a plurality of spatially distributed actuators (2i, 2o), preferably propulsion units, wherein a primary control (4.1) is used for controlling a flight state of the VTOL-aircraft (1) and at least one secondary control (4.2) is used for controlling the actuators (2i, 2o) of the VTOL-aircraft (1), preferably the propulsion units (2i, 2o); during operation. The primary control (4.1) generates a primary data set, which is subject to a first uncertainty, and is entered into an estimation algorithm, and the secondary control generates a secondary data set, which is subject to a second uncertainty, and is also entered into the estimation algorithm.

Abstract: A method of operating an actuator system (1) having a number k, k?, of actuators (2), in particular individual propulsion units of an MAV-VTOL aircraft (10), in particular electrically powered actuators, wherein a desired control command up?m, m?, for controlling the actuator system (1) is allocated to real actuator commands u?k, k?, by using a weighted allocation matrix D (W), from an equation u=D?1(W)up, wherein D?1(W) is an inverse of the weighted allocation matrix, and the real actuator commands u are applied for controlling the actuators (2). The method includes determining a characterizing value u* from the real actuator commands u; determining, at least for some of the actuators (2), preferably for all of the actuators (2), a deviation ei, i=1, 2, . . . , k of a respective actuator command ui, i=1, 2, . . . , k from said characterizing value u*; determining, at least for some of the actuators (2), preferably for all of the actuators (2), a weight wi, i=1, 2, . . .

Abstract: A method for operating an aircraft having multiple drive units including: a) providing a first flight control unit (CTRL-1), which activates the drive units according to a first control implementation when CTRL-1 is active; b) providing a second flight control unit (CTRL-2), which activates the drive units according to a second control implementation when CTRL-2 is active; c) continuously monitoring a function of the currently active flight control unit (CTRL-1); d) changing the active flight control unit from the currently active flight control unit (CTRL-1) to the newly active flight control unit (CTRL-2) in dependence on a result of the monitoring in step c); in which the change in step d) for the newly active flight control unit (CTRL-2) includes: d1) initializing starting values of a movement equation of the aircraft implemented in CTRL-2 using currently known state values (x) of the aircraft; d2) initializing integrators of CTRL-2 using control commands for the drive units from CTRL-1; d3) difference eq

Abstract: A method of controlling an actuator system including a plurality of k actuators. Each of the actuators-receives a control input ui, wherein index i denotes a particular actuator, which control input ui is determined depending on a weight matrix W including a weighting factor wi for each actuator and depending on at least a physical maximum control limit uimax for each of the actuators. The weighting factors wi and/or physical maximum control limit uimax are actively changed during operation if a first comparison of the control input ui or a function f(ui) thereof with a set first threshold value yields that the control input ui or function f(ui) thereof exceeds the set first threshold value. The first comparison is repeated during operation, and a new control input ui is determined from the adjusted weighting factor wi and/or the adjusted physical maximum control limit uimax and applied to the actuators.

Abstract: A method of controlling an overly determined actuator system that has a first number of actuators (?i) which is greater than a second number of the actuators needed to perform a predetermined physical task. The method includes: automatically controlling the first number of actuators by a control unit (CU) for jointly performing the predetermined physical task; repeatedly checking a functional state of the first number of actuators to detect an actuator failure of any one thereof; in case of any detected actuator failure, generating at least one emergency signal (EM) representative of an adapted physical task to be performed by a remaining number of the actuators. The emergency signal is generated based on kinematics of the actuator system, on known physical capacities at least of the remaining actuators, and optionally on a computational performance model of the actuator system.

Abstract: A method of operating an under-actuated actuator system including a plurality of actuators (3), preferably for operating a multiactuator aerial vehicle (1), wherein the actuators (3) are individual propulsion units of the multiactuator aerial vehicle (1), each actuator having a maximum physical capacity umax, the method including: controlling the actuators (3) by with an actual control input u?k computed from an allocation equation u=D?1up, wherein D?1 is an inverse allocation matrix and up?m is a pseudo control input defined by a system dynamics equation m(x){umlaut over (x)}+c(x,{dot over (x)})+g(x)+G(x)up=fext, wherein x?n is an n-dimensional configuration vector of the system, m(x)?n×n is a state dependent generalized moment of inertia, c(x,{dot over (x)})?n are state dependent Coriolis force, g(x)?n are gravitational forces and fext?n are external forces and torques, and G(x)?n×m is a control input matrix which contains the information of under-actuation.

Abstract: A method for controlling an overdetermined system with multiple power-restricted actuators that perform a primary task and non-primary tasks, including: a) determining a pseudo-control command based on a physical model of the system, which pseudo-control command represents the torques and a total thrust force acting on the system, b) determining a control matrix, c) dissociating the control matrix into sub control matrices, wherein the sub control matrices and the corresponding sub pseudo-control commands correspond to the primary task for i=1 and for i>1 correspond to the non-primary task(s) and a priority of the non-primary tasks decreases with increasing index i, d) determining actuator control commands for solving the primary task, e) projecting the non-primary tasks into the null space of the primary task, and into respective null spaces of all of the non-primary tasks of higher priority, if present, and f) providing the actuator control commands from d) and e) at the actuators.

Abstract: A method for controlling an overdetermined system with multiple actuators, for example an aircraft (1) with multiple propulsion units (3). The actuators perform at least one primary task and at least one non-primary task, including: a) determining a pseudo-control command up ?p? based on a physical model of the system, which command represents the torques (L, M, N) and a total thrust force (F) acting on the system, b) determining a control matrix D, D?p?×k according to up=Du, where u1=D?1upu1 ?k represents a control command for the actuators to perform the primary task, c) projecting the non-primary task into the null space N(D) of the primary task, so that Du2=0 if u2u2 ?k represents a control command for the actuators to perform the non-primary task, and d) providing the control commands from b) and c) to the actuators. In this way, the solution of the primary task is not adversely affected by the non-primary task or its solution.

Abstract: A method for operating an aircraft having multiple drive units including: a) providing a first flight control unit (CTRL-1), which activates the drive units according to a first control implementation when CTRL-1 is active; b) providing a second flight control unit (CTRL-2), which activates the drive units according to a second control implementation when CTRL-2 is active; c) continuously monitoring a function of the currently active flight control unit (CTRL-1); d) changing the active flight control unit from the currently active flight control unit (CTRL-1) to the newly active flight control unit (CTRL-2) in dependence on a result of the monitoring in step c); in which the change in step d) for the newly active flight control unit (CTRL-2) includes: d1) initializing starting values of a movement equation of the aircraft implemented in CTRL-2 using currently known state values (x) of the aircraft; d2) initializing integrators of CTRL-2 using control commands for the drive units from CTRL-1; d3) difference eq

Abstract: A method of controlling an aircraft having multiple configurations or modes is provided, wherein each configuration is controlled by a different control law implemented by a flight control device and transition from one configuration to another configuration is achieved by gradually blending out a control law for said one configuration and by gradually increasing an impact of a control law for said other configuration in said flight control device based on an estimated flight condition of the aircraft by dynamically adjusting, in said flight control device, respective maximum and minimum limit values of control volumes, which control volumes are defined by parameter ranges of control parameters in connection with a corresponding control law for said one configuration and for said other configuration, respectively.

Abstract: A method for controlling a aircraft with a plurality of drive units, in particular a plurality of electrical drive units, and a controller for flight control. At least one lateral control signal is entered into the controller for flight control in order to initiate a lateral movement of the aircraft. The significant point is that a speed (V) of the aircraft is ascertained through a speed estimation (6) and, depending on the estimated airspeed (V), a commanded roll angle (?C) and a commanded pitch angle (?c), a rate of turn ({dot over (?)}) is calculated. The lateral movement is automatically initiated with the calculated rate of turn ({dot over (?)}) through input of the lateral control signal.

Abstract: A method for monitoring a condition of a VTOL-aircraft (1), preferably an electrically propelled, more particularly an autonomous, more particularly a multi-rotor aircraft, with a plurality of spatially distributed actuators (2i, 2o), preferably propulsion units, wherein a primary control (4.1) is used for controlling a flight state of the VTOL-aircraft (1) and at least one secondary control (4.2) is used for controlling the actuators (2i, 2o) of the VTOL-aircraft (1), preferably the propulsion units (2i, 2o); during operation. The primary control (4.1) generates a primary data set, which is subject to a first uncertainty, and is entered into an estimation algorithm, and the secondary control generates a secondary data set, which is subject to a second uncertainty, and is also entered into the estimation algorithm.

Abstract: A method of operating an actuator system (1) having a number k, k?, of actuators (2), in particular individual propulsion units of an MAV-VTOL aircraft (10), in particular electrically powered actuators, wherein a desired control command up?m, m?, for controlling the actuator system (1) is allocated to real actuator commands u?k, k?, by using a weighted allocation matrix D (W), from an equation u=D?1(W)up, wherein D?1(W) is an inverse of the weighted allocation matrix, and the real actuator commands u are applied for controlling the actuators (2). The method includes determining a characterizing value u* from the real actuator commands u; determining, at least for some of the actuators (2), preferably for all of the actuators (2), a deviation ei, i=1, 2, . . . , k of a respective actuator command ui, i=1, 2, . . . , k from said characterizing value u*; determining, at least for some of the actuators (2), preferably for all of the actuators (2), a weight wi, i=1, 2, . . .

Abstract: A method of operating an under-actuated actuator system including a plurality of actuators (3), preferably for operating a multiactuator aerial vehicle (1), wherein the actuators (3) are individual propulsion units of the multiactuator aerial vehicle (1), each actuator having a maximum physical capacity umax, the method including: controlling the actuators (3) by with an actual control input u?k computed from an allocation equation u=D?1up, wherein D?1 is an inverse allocation matrix and up?m is a pseudo control input defined by a system dynamics equation m(x){dot over (x)}+c(x,{dot over (x)})+g(x)+G(x)up=fext, wherein x?n is an n-dimensional configuration vector of the system, m(x)?n×n is a state dependent generalized moment of inertia, c(x,{dot over (x)})?n are state dependent Coriolis force, g(x)?n are gravitational forces and fext?n are external forces and torques, and G(x)?n×m is a control input matrix which contains the information of under-actuation.

Abstract: A method of controlling an actuator system including a plurality of k actuators, preferably for controlling a multiactuator aerial vehicle with the actuators configured as individual propulsion units thereof. Each of the actuators, during operation, receives a control input ui, wherein index i denotes a particular actuator, which control input ui is determined depending on a weight matrix W including a weighting factor wi for each actuator and depending on at least a physical maximum control limit uimax for each of the actuators. The weighting factors wi and/or physical maximum control limit uimax are actively changed during operation if a first comparison, for at least some of the actuators, of the control input ui or a function ƒ(ui) thereof with a set first threshold value yields that the control input ui or function ƒ(ui) thereof exceeds the set first threshold value.