Research on Anti-Rollover Adaptive Landing Gear Technology Based on Impedance Control

During the Vertical Take-Off and Landing (VTOL) of a rotorcraft, there is a high risk of instability and safety incidents due to the possibility of one side of the landing gear making initial contact with the ground, particularly under extreme environmental conditions and maneuvers. Furthermore, the varied performance of adaptive landing gear necessitates a landing control approach that specifically targets both sides of the adaptive landing gear. This study proposes a method that regulates the landing gear first touchdown side through an impedance controller to guarantee the stability of the rotorcraft and then tilts the landing gear toward the rear landing leg side, followed by a soft and smooth landing through the rear landing leg. This approach accomplishes steady adaptive VTOL of the rotorcraft. The fall vibration test results demonstrate that the adaptive landing gear system with impedance control has excellent adaptive landing functionality, which can handle not only landing on uneven ground at various points but also cope with different ascent rates and ground friction during stable takeoff/landing.