An Autonomous Shipboard Landing Algorithm for Unmanned Helicopters

This paper proposes an algorithm for autonomous shipboard landing of unmanned helicopters in crosswind using Time-Delay Control. The proposed algorithm is composed of two parts: the controller augmented with Time-Delay Control, and the guidance law. The model uncertainties caused by external disturbances and vehicle speed change are compensated by Time-Delay Control. The guidance law considers crash avoidance and reentrance procedure as well as the effects by crosswind. The proposed algorithm is validated by real-time simulations using MATLAB Simulink and X-Plane.