Minimalist control design of canard-actuated micro-projectiles

A minimal control law is designed for a canard controlled smart projectile. This system allows for an envelope of down and cross range targeting capability for a set initial firing state. The controller relies on limited aerodynamic data with initial firing conditions in order to avoid the need for complicated electronics and sensors. First range and lateral control are shown to be achieved independently, and then they were combined to demonstrate full 3D control. A 6DoF simulation is used to show the effectiveness of the proposed algorithm. Sensitivity analysis to variations in initial conditions are carried out using Monte Carlo simulations. With a 5 m/s muzzle velocity, a 95% confidence predefined target landing is achieved with -0.236%±0.792% lateral and -0.352%±0.185% range error.