Autopilot

An autopilot is a system used to control the trajectory of a vehicle without constant 'hands-on' control by
a human operator being required. Autopilots do not replace a human operator, but assist them in
controlling the vehicle, allowing them to focus on broader aspects of operation, such as monitoring the
trajectory, weather and systems.[1] Autopilots are used in aircraft, boats (known as self-steering gear),
spacecraft, missiles, and others. Autopilots have evolved significantly over time, from early autopilots
that merely held an attitude to modern autopilots capable of performing automated landings under the
supervision of a pilot.

The autopilot system on airplanes is sometimes colloquially referred to as "George".[2]

Attitude control is controlling the orientation of an object with respect to an inertial frame of
reference or another entity (the celestial sphere, certain fields, nearby objects, etc.).

Controlling vehicle attitude requires sensors to measure vehicle orientation, actuators to apply the
torques needed to re-orient the vehicle to a desired attitude, and algorithms to command the actuators
based on (1) sensor measurements of the current attitude and (2) specification of a desired attitude. The
integrated field that studies the combination of sensors, actuators and algorithms is called "Guidance,
Navigation and Control" (GNC).

First autopilots[edit]
See also: Gyroscopic autopilot

In the early days of aviation, aircraft required the continuous attention of a pilot in order to fly safely. As
aircraft range increased allowing flights of many hours, the constant attention led to serious fatigue. An
autopilot is designed to perform some of the tasks of the pilot.

The first aircraft autopilot was developed by Sperry Corporation in 1912. The autopilot connected a
gyroscopic heading indicator and attitude indicator to hydraulically operated elevators and rudder.
(Ailerons were not connected as wing dihedral was counted upon to produce the necessary roll stability.)
It permitted the aircraft to fly straight and level on a compass course without a pilot's attention, greatly
reducing the pilot's workload.

In 1930, the Royal Aircraft Establishment in England developed an autopilot called a pilots' assister that
used a pneumatically-spun gyroscope to move the flight controls.