Priority-based reward function for fast-settling and low-deviation trajectory planning of a wing-in-ground craft’s altitude change

Abstract For efficient altitude transition and cruise maintenance, the wing-in-ground craft (WIG) quickly adjusts to and then stabilises at the target flight altitude, with minimal deviation during the fastest transition. Conventional methods typically rely on multi-objective functions to minimise settling time (ST) and integrated absolute error (IAE). These methods achieve the target trajectory through iterative trial-and-error adjustment on their weights that balance the two objectives, leading to time-consuming tuning. A reward function is proposed to prioritise minimising ST first, followed by minimising IAE. When trajectory points deviate from the target altitude, rewards are calculated based on absolute error (AE) values. Once the target altitude is reached, the reward takes the value of an exponential based on the current step number. The proposed reward function ensures that positive rewards for reducing ST outweigh the reward losses from adjusting previous trajectory points, and it is mathematically validated. Example of a WIG’s altitude change compares the proposed reward function and conventional multi-objective methods via deep reinforcement learning. Results show that the proposed reward function directly plans the trajectory that prioritises fast-settling requirements first and then minimising deviation, without needing to introduce or tune any parameter.