Real-Time Simulation of Complex 4D Wind Fields and Gusts for UAS Control System Development

This article describes a new suite of simulation plugins for the Gazebo 3D simulator to facilitate realistic simulation of time-varying 3D wind fields and gusts. The plugins integrate with ROS and Pixhawk PX4 Software-In-The-Loop (SITL) firmware to aid in the development of robust UAS control systems. Our approach features two main components: (1) real-time plugins for simulating environmental and sensed versions of complex, spatially varying wind velocity fields, using a Fourier-based compression of large CFD datasets, and (2) real-time plugins for modeling environmental and sensed versions of short-duration windblasts. By building on opensource Gazebo and ROS software, the developed framework provides high-accuracy physics simulation with support for multiple vehicles, fostering improved flight controller design and testing in cluttered or challenging atmospheric conditions.