Doing the Right Thing: Collision Avoidance for Autonomous Air Vehicles

Collision Avoidance is a critical requirement in Aviation safety. Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UASs) are required to adhere to Rules of the Air, outlined in the UK by the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA), and to be able to resolve any potential collision situations. This work investigates rules governing two common situations; converging traffic, and head-on approach. This paper considers the implementation of a generic flight planner using simulated UAS models. Upon detection of a potential collision, an appropriate collision avoidance maneuver is calculated and executed, with the aircraft reverting to their desired path afterwards.