Position-heading quadrotor control using LPV techniques

• Published in: IET control theory & applications Vol. 13; no. 6; pp. 783 - 794
• Main Authors: Trapiello, Carlos, Puig, Vicenç, Morcego, Bernardo
• Format: Journal Article Publication
• Language: English
• Published: The Institution of Engineering and Technology 16.04.2019
• Subjects: attitude control; attitude subsystem; Automàtica i control; autonomous aerial vehicles; cascade control; cascade control structure; control system synthesis; feedback; feedback linearisation approach; helicopters; Hummingbird unmanned aerial vehicle; Informàtica; inner attitude control loop; linear matrix inequalities; linear parameter; linear quadratic control; linear systems; linearisation techniques; LMI; LPV control; LPV representation; LPV techniques; LQR problem; nonlinear control systems; observers; optimal manner; outer position control loop; position control; position‐heading control problem; position‐heading quadrotor control; proportional–integral observer; quasi‐LPV–linear‐quadratic regulator controller; reference dynamic model; remotely operated vehicles; Research Article; Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAV); velocities controller; velocity control; Àrees temàtiques de la UPC; cascade control structure; proportional–integral observer; LPV representation; remotely operated vehicles; feedback; inner attitude control loop; LPV techniques; attitude subsystem; optimal manner; helicopters; LQR problem; quasi-LPV–linear-quadratic regulator controller; linear matrix inequalities; cascade control; attitude control; velocities controller; position control; outer position control loop; linearisation techniques; feedback linearisation approach; reference dynamic model; Hummingbird unmanned aerial vehicle; control system synthesis; LMI; linear systems; velocity control; autonomous aerial vehicles; linear parameter; nonlinear control systems; position-heading quadrotor control; position-heading control problem; observers; linear quadratic control
• ISSN: 1751-8644; 1751-8652
• DOI: 10.1049/iet-cta.2018.6147

This work presents a solution to the position-heading control problem of a small quadrotor. The main idea of this study is to exploit the advantages of the linear parameter varying (LPV) control approach together with a feedback linearisation approach for designing a cascade control structure without the need to perform simplifications with respect to the reference dynamic model used in the literature. The use of a LPV representation of the attitude subsystem allows to consider it as independent of the position one, allowing the use of a cascade control structure. For the inner attitude control loop, the proposed quasi-LPV–linear-quadratic regulator (LQR) controller and proportional–integral observer (PIO) are solved in an optimal manner by solving a set of linear matrix inequalities (LMIs). While for the outer position control loop, a feedback linearisation approach is developed before designing the corresponding controller and PIO also minimising the LQR problem by means of LMIs. Furthermore, another outer loop, interchangeable with the position one, such that controls the velocities in the body frame is proposed. This velocities controller is also solved in an optimal manner using a combination of feedback linearisation and LPV techniques. The proposed solutions are applied to an AscTec Hummingbird unmanned aerial vehicle in simulation.