Gust Alleviation

Gust alleviation research focuses on developing methods to mitigate the destabilizing effects of wind gusts on aerial vehicles, particularly small unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) operating in challenging environments. Current approaches leverage machine learning, specifically deep reinforcement learning and reduced-order modeling techniques like autoencoders, to create robust and efficient control strategies using limited sensor data. This work is significant because it enables safer and more reliable UAV operation in previously inaccessible locations, such as urban canyons and mountainous regions, improving the capabilities of these increasingly important platforms.