Rover: improved vectored thrust support

Co-authored-by: srmainwaring <rhys.mainwaring@me.com>

Rover/AP_MotorsUGV.cpp

@@ -80,13 +80,7 @@ const AP_Param::GroupInfo AP_MotorsUGV::var_info[] = {
     // @User: Advanced
     AP_GROUPINFO("THST_EXPO", 9, AP_MotorsUGV, _thrust_curve_expo, 0.0f),
 
-    // @Param: VEC_THR_BASE
+    // 10 was VEC_THR_BASE
-    // @DisplayName: Vector thrust throttle base
-    // @Description: Throttle level above which steering is scaled down when using vector thrust.  zero to disable vectored thrust
-    // @Units: %
-    // @Range: 0 100
-    // @User: Advanced
-    AP_GROUPINFO("VEC_THR_BASE", 10, AP_MotorsUGV, _vector_throttle_base, 0.0f),
 
     // @Param: SPD_SCA_BASE
     // @DisplayName: Motor speed scaling base speed
@@ -103,6 +97,14 @@ const AP_Param::GroupInfo AP_MotorsUGV::var_info[] = {
     // @User: Advanced
     AP_GROUPINFO("STR_THR_MIX", 12, AP_MotorsUGV, _steering_throttle_mix, 0.5f),
 
+    // @Param: VEC_ANGLEMAX
+    // @DisplayName: Vector thrust angle max
+    // @Description: The angle between steering's middle position and maximum position when using vectored thrust (boats only)
+    // @Units: deg
+    // @Range: 0 90
+    // @User: Standard
+    AP_GROUPINFO("VEC_ANGLEMAX", 13, AP_MotorsUGV, _vector_angle_max, 0.0f),
+
     AP_GROUPEND
 };
 
@@ -478,7 +480,7 @@ void AP_MotorsUGV::sanity_check_parameters()
 {
     _throttle_min = constrain_int16(_throttle_min, 0, 20);
     _throttle_max = constrain_int16(_throttle_max, 30, 100);
-    _vector_throttle_base = constrain_float(_vector_throttle_base, 0.0f, 100.0f);
+    _vector_angle_max = constrain_float(_vector_angle_max, 0.0f, 90.0f);
 }
 
 // setup pwm output type
@@ -613,9 +615,49 @@ void AP_MotorsUGV::output_regular(bool armed, float ground_speed, float steering
         if (_scale_steering) {
             // vectored thrust handling
             if (have_vectored_thrust()) {
-                if (fabsf(throttle) > _vector_throttle_base) {
+
-                    // scale steering down linearly as throttle increases above _vector_throttle_base
+                // normalise desired steering and throttle to ease calculations
-                    steering *= constrain_float(_vector_throttle_base / fabsf(throttle), 0.0f, 1.0f);
+                float steering_norm = steering / 4500.0f;
+                const float throttle_norm = throttle / 100.0f;
+
+                // steering can never be more than throttle * tan(_vector_angle_max)
+                const float vector_angle_max_rad = radians(constrain_float(_vector_angle_max, 0.0f, 90.0f));
+                const float steering_norm_lim = fabsf(throttle_norm * tanf(vector_angle_max_rad));
+                if (fabsf(steering_norm) > steering_norm_lim) {
+                    if (is_positive(steering_norm)) {
+                        steering_norm = steering_norm_lim;
+                    }
+                    if (is_negative(steering_norm)) {
+                        steering_norm = -steering_norm_lim;
+                    }
+                    limit.steer_right = true;
+                    limit.steer_left = true;
+                }
+
+                if (!is_zero(throttle_norm)) {
+                    // calculate steering angle
+                    float steering_angle_rad = atanf(steering_norm / throttle_norm);
+                    // limit steering angle to vector_angle_max
+                    if (fabsf(steering_angle_rad) > vector_angle_max_rad) {
+                        steering_angle_rad = constrain_float(steering_angle_rad, -vector_angle_max_rad, vector_angle_max_rad);
+                        limit.steer_right = true;
+                        limit.steer_left = true;
+                     }
+
+                    // convert steering angle to steering output
+                    steering = steering_angle_rad / vector_angle_max_rad * 4500.0f;
+
+                    // scale up throttle to compensate for steering angle
+                    const float throttle_scaler_inv = cosf(steering_angle_rad);
+                    if (!is_zero(throttle_scaler_inv)) {
+                        throttle /= throttle_scaler_inv;
+                        if (throttle >= 100.0f) {
+                            limit.throttle_upper = true;
+                        }
+                        if (throttle <= -100.0f) {
+                            limit.throttle_lower = true;
+                        }
+                    }
                 }
             } else {
                 // scale steering down as speed increase above MOT_SPD_SCA_BASE (1 m/s default)

Rover/AP_MotorsUGV.h

@@ -93,7 +93,7 @@ public:
     bool have_skid_steering() const;
 
     // true if vehicle has vectored thrust (i.e. boat with motor on steering servo)
-    bool have_vectored_thrust() const { return is_positive(_vector_throttle_base); }
+    bool have_vectored_thrust() const { return is_positive(_vector_angle_max); }
 
     // output to motors and steering servos
     // ground_speed should be the vehicle's speed over the surface in m/s
@@ -184,7 +184,7 @@ protected:
     AP_Int8 _throttle_min; // throttle minimum percentage
     AP_Int8 _throttle_max; // throttle maximum percentage
     AP_Float _thrust_curve_expo; // thrust curve exponent from -1 to +1 with 0 being linear
-    AP_Float _vector_throttle_base;  // throttle level above which steering is scaled down when using vector thrust.  zero to disable vectored thrust
+    AP_Float _vector_angle_max;  // angle between steering's middle position and maximum position when using vectored thrust.  zero to disable vectored thrust
     AP_Float _speed_scale_base;  // speed above which steering is scaled down when using regular steering/throttle vehicles.  zero to disable speed scaling
     AP_Float _steering_throttle_mix; // Steering vs Throttle priorisation.  Higher numbers prioritise steering, lower numbers prioritise throttle.  Only valid for Skid Steering vehicles