Unmanned Aircraft Systems with Autonomous Navigation, 2nd Edition

Unmanned Aerial Systems (UASs) are playing an increasingly significant role across a wide range of application domains, spanning from military defense programs and strategic operations to civil and commercial uses. UASs are typically deployed in so-called Dull, Dirty, and Dangerous (DDD) scenarios, which demand reliable performance, extended operational capabilities, and user-friendly, cost-effective platforms, including both fixed-wing and rotary-wing configurations. In this context, the development of advanced onboard systems is essential to enable environmental perception, obstacle detection and avoidance, path planning and trajectory management, the identification of safe landing zones, and, ultimately, the achievement of fully autonomous operations, particularly in Beyond Visual Line-of-Sight (BVLOS) missions. The technical and economic challenges associated with autonomous navigation are multifaceted, encompassing both hardware aspects, such as sensors, platforms, control units and software components, including data processing and filtering techniques, optimal control strategies, state estimation methods, and the development of innovative algorithms. These challenges further extend from theoretical modeling to real-world implementation and validation.