USPAV: Planning and Control of a Suspended Payload on an Unmanned Aerial Vehicle

USPAV explores control and motion planning for UAVs carrying suspended payloads, focusing on swing dynamics, trajectory optimization, and safe maneuvering.

Project image 1 Project image 2 Project image 3 Project image 4

🚁 Project Overview

USPAV (Unmanned aerial vehicle with Suspended Payload: Analysis and Validation) is a research project focusing on the complex problem of planning and control for UAVs carrying suspended payloads. These systems exhibit highly nonlinear and underactuated dynamics due to cable-induced oscillations.

The project addresses key challenges such as:

  • Payload swing suppression
  • Trajectory tracking under disturbance
  • Optimal control under dynamic constraints

✨ Technical Highlights

  • Nonlinear modeling of cable-suspended payload dynamics
  • Real-time control implementations using MPC and LQR
  • Simulation environment in ROS 2 and Gazebo
  • Hardware-in-the-loop tests with a quadrotor testbed

🛠️ Applications

  • Aerial logistics and cargo delivery
  • Disaster response with UAV-deployed tools
  • Autonomous aerial crane systems
  • Academic education in nonlinear control

📂 Resources

  • Simulation code and controller models (to be released)
  • CAD files for UAV and payload interface
  • Project documentation and experimental results