Adaptive rapid neural observer-based sensors fault diagnosis and reconstruction of quadrotor unmanned aerial vehicle

Abstract

Purpose

The objective of this research is to investigate various neural network (NN) observer techniques for sensors fault identification and diagnosis of nonlinear system in consideration of numerous faults, failures, uncertainties and disturbances. For the importunity of increasing the faults diagnosis and reconstruction preciseness, a new technique is used for modifying the weight parameters of NNs without enhancement of computational complexities.

Design/methodology/approach

Various techniques such as adaptive radial basis functions (ARBF), conventional radial basis functions, adaptive multi-layer perceptron, conventional multi-layer perceptron and extended state observer are presented. For increasing the fault detection preciseness, a new technique is used for updating the weight parameters of radial basis functions and multi-layer perceptron (MLP) without enhancement of computational complexities. Lyapunov stability theory and sliding-mode surface concepts are used for the weight-updating parameters. Based on the combination of these two concepts, the weight parameters of NNs are updated adaptively. The key purpose of utilization of adaptive weight is to enhance the detection of faults with high accuracy. Because of the online adaptation, the ARBF can detect various kinds of faults and failures such as simultaneous, incipient, intermittent and abrupt faults effectively. Results depict that the suggested algorithm (ARBF) demonstrates more confrontation to unknown disturbances, faults and system dynamics compared with other investigated techniques and techniques used in the literature. The proposed algorithms are investigated by the utilization of quadrotor unmanned aerial vehicle dynamics, which authenticate the efficiency of the suggested algorithm.

Findings

The proposed Lyapunov function theory and sliding-mode surface-based strategy are studied, which shows more efficiency to unknown faults, failures, uncertainties and disturbances compared with conventional approaches as well as techniques used in the literature.

Practical implications

For improvement of the system safety and for avoiding failure and damage, the rapid fault detection and isolation has a great significance; the proposed approaches in this research work guarantee the detection and reconstruction of unknown faults, which has a great significance for practical life.

Originality/value

In this research, two strategies such Lyapunov function theory and sliding-mode surface concept are used in combination for tuning the weight parameters of NNs adaptively. The main purpose of these strategies is the fault diagnosis and reconstruction with high accuracy in terms of shape as well as the magnitude of unknown faults. Results depict that the proposed strategy is more effective compared with techniques used in the literature.

Citation

Taimoor, M., Lu, X., Maqsood, H. and Sheng, C. (2021), "Adaptive rapid neural observer-based sensors fault diagnosis and reconstruction of quadrotor unmanned aerial vehicle", Aircraft Engineering and Aerospace Technology, Vol. 93 No. 5, pp. 847-861. https://doi.org/10.1108/AEAT-01-2021-0005