Design process and real-time validation of an innovative autonomous mid-air flight and landing system

This paper describes the design process and the real-time validation of an innovative autonomous mid-air flight and landing system developed by the Italian Aerospace Research Center in the framework of the Italian national funded project TECVOL (Technologies for the Autonomous Flight). In the paper it is provided an insight of the whole development process of the system under study. In particular, the project framework is illustrated at first, then the functional context and the adopted design and testing approach are described, and finally the on-ground validation test rig on purpose designed is addressed in details. Furthermore, the hardware-in-the-loop validation of the autonomous mid-air flight and landing system by means of the real-time test rig is described and discussed.