FCND Controls Project

IMPORTANT UPDATE

As of May 04, 2018 the Python portion of the Controls project is now optional. You will only be submitting the C++ portion of this project. For more on why we made this decision, look at the Submission section at the bottom of this document.

For this project, you will write the low level flight controllers for the vehicle. In the previous projects, commanded positions were passed to the simulation. In this project, commands will be passed as three directional body moments and thrust. Using the position, velocity, attitude, and body rates sent from the simulation, you will first write several nested control loops to achieve waypoint following control of the first project. Next, you'll expand these capabilities to follow a timed trajectory. The goal of the trajectory following will be to arrive at the end within the specified time while maintaining position errors below a threshold. After the Python portion of the project, you will modify a C++ controller.

For easy navigation, this document is broken up into the following sections:

Environment Setup
Update Backyard Flyer Solution
Get Familiar with the Code
The Tasks
Additional Resources

Setup Your Environment

Step 1: download the simulator

In this beta version the simulator is provided in the repository. For students, this step will read: If you haven't already, download the version of the simulator that's appropriate for your operating system from this repository (TODO: link to be added).

Step 2: set up your python environment

If you haven't already, set up your Python environment and get all the relevant packages installed using Anaconda following instructions in this repository

Make sure Udacidrone is up to date

Let's quickly make sure you have the most up to date version of udacidrone, which will allow you to use the full functionality of the controls simulator environment.

First make sure you have activated your environment:

source activate fcnd

Then run the update:

pip install -U git+https://github.com/udacity/udacidrone.git

Step 3: clone this repository

git clone https://github.com/udacity/FCND-Controls

Step 4: test setup

Your starting point here will be the solution code for the Backyard Flyer project. Before you start modifying the code, make sure that your Backyard Flyer solution code works as expected and your drone can perform the square flight path in the new simulator. To do this, start the simulator and run the backyard_flyer.py script.

source activate fcnd # if you haven't already sourced your Python environment, do so now.
python backyard_flyer.py

The quad should take off, fly a square pattern and land, just as in the previous project. If everything works then you are ready to move to the next step and modify backyard_flyer.py to get it ready to use your custom controller.

Update Backyard Flyer Solution

The following modifications need to be made to the solution backyard_flyer.py. Feel free to use a copy of your own solution to the Backyard Flyer Project or the one in the link provided.

Step 1

Import the UnityDrone and NonlinearController classes and modify the BackyardFlyer class to be a subclass of UnityDrone instead of Drone. UnityDrone is a subclass of Drone, so it provides all the functionality of Drone along with additional Unity specific commands/functionality (see below).

from unity_drone import UnityDrone
from controller import NonlinearController
...
class BackyardFlyer(UnityDrone):

Step 2

Add a controller object in the __init__ method:

def __init__(self, connection):
    ...
    self.controller = NonlinearController()

Step 3

Add the following three methods to your class to incorporate the controller into the backyard flyer.

def position_controller(self):
    """Sets the local acceleration target using the local position and local velocity"""
    
    (self.local_position_target, self.local_velocity_target, yaw_cmd) = self.controller.trajectory_control(self.position_trajectory, self.yaw_trajectory, self.time_trajectory, time.time())
    self.attitude_target = np.array((0.0, 0.0, yaw_cmd))

    acceleration_cmd = self.controller.lateral_position_control(self.local_position_target[0:2], self.local_velocity_target[0:2], self.local_position[0:2], self.local_velocity[0:2])
    self.local_acceleration_target = np.array([acceleration_cmd[0], acceleration_cmd[1], 0.0])
    
def attitude_controller(self):
    """Sets the body rate target using the acceleration target and attitude"""
    self.thrust_cmd = self.controller.altitude_control(-self.local_position_target[2], -self.local_velocity_target[2], -self.local_position[2], -self.local_velocity[2], self.attitude, 9.81)
    roll_pitch_rate_cmd = self.controller.roll_pitch_controller(self.local_acceleration_target[0:2], self.attitude, self.thrust_cmd)
    yawrate_cmd = self.controller.yaw_control(self.attitude_target[2], self.attitude[2])
    self.body_rate_target = np.array([roll_pitch_rate_cmd[0], roll_pitch_rate_cmd[1], yawrate_cmd])
    
def bodyrate_controller(self):  
    """Commands a moment to the vehicle using the body rate target and body rates"""
    moment_cmd = self.controller.body_rate_control(self.body_rate_target, self.gyro_raw)
    self.cmd_moment(moment_cmd[0], moment_cmd[1], moment_cmd[2], self.thrust_cmd)

Step 4

Register and add callbacks for the RAW_GYROSCOPE, ATTITUDE, and LOCAL_VELOCITY messages. Note that you may already have the velocity_callback() function implemented; if so, replace velocity_callback() with the callback below. Call the appropriate level of control in each callback (i.e. bodyrate_controller() is called in gyro_callback()):

def __init___(self,connection):
    ...
    self.register_callback(MsgID.ATTITUDE, self.attitude_callback)
    self.register_callback(MsgID.RAW_GYROSCOPE, self.gyro_callback)
    self.register_callback(MsgID.LOCAL_VELOCITY, self.velocity_callback)
    
def attitude_callback(self):
    ...
    if self.flight_state == States.WAYPOINT:
        self.attitude_controller()
    
def gyro_callback(self):
    ...
    if self.flight_state == States.WAYPOINT:
        self.bodyrate_controller()
            
def velocity_callback(self):
    ...
    if self.flight_state == States.WAYPOINT:
        self.position_controller()

Step 5

In the waypoint transition method, replace the self.cmd_position method (which is disabled by UnityDrone) with setting the target local position. Note: local_position_target should be in NED coordinates, the backyard_flyer solution may calculate the box in NE altitude coordinates

# replace this
self.cmd_position(self.target_position[0], self.target_position[1], self.target_position[2], 0.0)

# with this
self.local_position_target = np.array((self.target_position[0], self.target_position[1], self.target_position[2]))

Step 6

For this project we will no longer be flying the waypoint box, but rather a full flight trajectory, so remove calculate box and load the test trajectory:

# replace this
self.all_waypoints = self.calculate_box()

# with this
(self.position_trajectory, self.time_trajectory, self.yaw_trajectory) = self.load_test_trajectory(time_mult=0.5)
self.all_waypoints = self.position_trajectory.copy()
self.waypoint_number = -1

Step 7

As our trajectory defines a waypoint with both time and location, change the transition criterion from proximity based to time based:

# Replace this
if np.linalg.norm(self.target_position[0:2] - self.local_position[0:2]) < 1.0:
    ...

# with this
if time.time() > self.time_trajectory[self.waypoint_number]:
    ...
...

def waypoint_transition(self):
    ...
    self.waypoint_number = self.waypoint_number+1

See what happens with no control

Now your backyard_flyer.py solution is ready to use your custom controller. Since you have yet to write any of the control functions, your quad will be incapable of flying, but just to make sure your script is working, start up the simulator and run your script:

python backyard_flyer.py

If you've got everything set up properly, you should see your quad quite unceremoniously fall down to the ground!

Now let's get to the fun part, time for you to write your own controller!

Alternative to setting up your `backyard_flyer`

We have provided start code that takes the backyard_flyer solution and adds the above modifications in the controls_flyer.py script. Feel free to use that as the starting point, or your own script.

Get Familiar with the Code

For this project, you'll be writing the control system in controller.py. The controller is separated into five parts:

body rate control
reduced attitude control
altitude control
heading control
lateral position control

Each of these will be implemented as methods of the NonlinearController class and will fit together as shown below. The next step will guide you through the changes to backyard_flyer.py to fit the controllers into the right structure.

The Tasks

In the Backyard Flyer project, the vehicle was commanded to go to and stop at a series of waypoints to complete a box pattern. You may have noticed that the vehicle slows down as it get closer to the waypoint prior to transitioning to the next. Additionally, the vehicle does not necessarily fly the sides of the box and ends up "rounding the corners" (you'll notice this more with tighter turns).

For this project, we will be increasing the functionality of the drone by providing trajectory following capabilities. Instead of go-to waypoints, a trajectory is defined as a position/heading over time. The desired position changes over time and implicitly has a corresponding velocity. The array of positions/time/heading are spaced much closer than the waypoints.

Trajectory following requires a much more tuned and tighter controller than what the default drone in Unity had, therefore you will be writing the nested low-level controller needed to achieve trajectory following. To do this you'll be filling in methods in the controller.py class. Using the linear or non-linear dynamics and control from the lessons, you'll write the control code for each of the controller parts showing control diagram shown above.

The minimum requirements for a successful project include completing the following:

body_rate_control() - a proportional controller on body rates to commanded moments
altitude_control() - an altitude controller that uses both the down position and the down velocity to command thrust. Note that you will need to include the non-linear effects from non-zero roll/pitch angles!
yaw_control() - a linear/proportional heading controller to yaw rate commands (non-linear transformation not required)
roll_pitch_control() - a reduced attitude controller taking in local acceleration commands and outputs body rate command. Note that you will need to account for the non-linear transformation from local accelerations to body rates!
lateral_position_control() - a linear position controller using the local north/east position and local north/east velocity to generate a commanded local acceleration
The final moment/thrust commands limit the input at given saturation limits

Each of the methods in controller.py contain additional instructions to help you complete the required methods

You may find that trying to develop all the control functions at the same time may prove to be quite difficult. It's highly suggested that you code/tune/test your controller from the lowest level. For example, body_rate_control(), altitude_control(), and yaw_control() can all be tested prior to designing roll_pitch_control(). The altitude/yaw should be stabilized and the roll/pitch will slowly drift to unstable (instead of immediately flipping over). Next, the roll_pitch_control() can be tested by passing in zero acceleration commands. This should stabilize the drone's orientation completely. Tuning a faster and smoother inner loop will make tuning the outer loop easier due to less decoupling of the modes.

For each step, you may also find it is easier to see the effects of your controller, so consider replacing the target local position (in the waypoint transition function) with the following:

# replace this
self.local_position_target = np.array((self.target_position[0], self.target_position[1], self.target_position[2]))

# with this
self.local_position_target = np.array([0.0, 0.0, -3.0])

This will have your controller attempt to hold at a fixed point just about the origin.

Test the Controller!

You will be testing your trajectory following against a trajectory defined in test_trajectory.txt. The time, horizontal error, and vertical error are all checked against thresholds in UnityDrone. See below for more information on Testing the Test Trajectory.

As with most real systems, in the end there are a set of performance metrics your controller should be able to satisfy. Therefore the minimum requirements for a successful project include:

The drone flies the test trajectory faster than the default threshold (20 seconds)
The maximum horizontal error is less than the default threshold (2 meters)
The maximum vertical error is less than the default threshold (1 meter)

Make sure to run and check the auto-evaluator on your trajectory flights to get an idea of how your controller is performing as you tune gains!

Submission

As of early May 2018, you are no longer required to submit this project. You are only required to submit the C++ project.

Why are we no longer requiring this portion?

We constantly listen to student feedback and do our best to improve the learning experience based on that feedback.

After analyzing the feedback from the first round of students who went through this project we learned that it was taking students much longer to complete than we had anticipated.

There were a few reasons why this project was taking so long, but a lot of it had to do with debugging and tuning. Simply put: we didn't include enough support for incremental development and tuning of the individual controllers in this portion of the project. This meant that some students were spending hours and hours trying to tune their controllers (all without knowing whether their controller implementations were even correct). This is not a productive use of your valuable learning time!

The C++ portion of the project is broken into several smaller steps. Each of these steps provides some feedback on the correctness of your controller. You'll still have to deal with some of the pain of tuning, but it wouldn't be a controls project if that weren't the case.

Additional Challenges (Optional)

Minimize the time to fly the test trajectory while still meeting the error thresholds
Integrate with the planning project solution to generate custom trajectories
Test your control's robustness to wind disturbances and modeling errors. (Simulation Changes Coming)

Feel free to tune the controller to see how much better your custom designed controller can do than the linear waypoint following controller implemented in the Unity simulator.

Additional Resources

Unity Drone Class

The the capabilities of the udacidrone object are expanded to low-level control inputs. These additional commands are implemented within the UnityDrone class, which is a subclass of the Drone class. The additional functionality of this class includes:

Moment control
Sending target vehicle states to the Unity simulation for visualization
Load and test against a test trajectory

To use the additional functionality, change your custom drone subclass into a subclass of UnityDrone:

    import UnityDrone from unity_drone
    
    class BackyardFlyer(UnityDrone):
    ...

Moment Control

    def cmd_moment(self, roll_moment, pitch_moment, yaw_moment, thrust):
        """Command the drone moments.

        Args:
            roll_moment: in Newton*meter
            pitch_moment: in Newton*meter
            yaw_moment: in Newton*meter
            thrust: upward force in Newtons
        """

The commanded roll moment, pitch moment, yaw moment and thrust force commands are defined in the body axis and passed at the lowest level to the Unity control system.

Target Vehicle States

The following class properties are provided for use within the code. Setting the value of one a property automatically sends the value to the Unity simulation for plotting within the visualization.

local_position_target - 3 element numpy vector
local_velocity_target - 3 element numpy vector
local_acceleration_target - 3 element numpy vector
attitude_target - 3 element numpy vector
body_rate_target - 3 element numpy vector)

Note: Setting these values are only used for visualization within the Unity simulator and do not actually affect the Unity vehicle control system.

Testing on the Test Trajectory

A test trajectory is stored in test_trajectory.txt. The position, time, and yaw information can be loaded using:

(self.position_trajectory, self.time_trajectory, self.yaw_trajectory) = self.load_test_trajectory(time_mult=1.0)

The time_mult argument scales the time_trajectory by its value. To attempt to complete the trajectory at a faster pace, use values below 1.0.

The UnityDrone class automatically checks the horizontal and vertical position error and time when the local_position_target property is set. The mission is considered a failure if the maximum position (horizontal or vertical) error is greater than a specified threshold or the total mission time is greater than a specified threshold. The position error and time thresholds can be set using the following properties:

threshold_horizontal_error - Maximum allowed horizontal error on the mission, float > 0.0
threshold_vertical_error - Maximum allowed vertical error on the mission, float > 0.0
threshold_time - Maximum mission time, float > 0.0

At the end of the mission, the success can be printed to the terminal using:

drone.print_mission_score()

The printout will look something like:

Maximum Horizontal Error:  1.40065025436
Maximum Vertical Error:  1.40065025436
Mission Time:  39.27512404109243
Mission Success:  True

Additionally, if you run visdom, plots of the vertical and horizontal errors along the path (the plots are generated after the run ends). Before starting the script, run in a different terminal:

python -m visdom.server

The plots are default displayed on 'http://localhost:8097/'. Open a web browser after the run is finished to see the displayed error plots.

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