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Enhanced backstepping control for an unconventional quadrotor under external disturbances

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  28 July 2022

A. Belmouhoub Open the ORCID record for A. Belmouhoub [Opens in a new window] ,
S. Medjmadj ,
Y. Bouzid ,
S. H. Derrouaoui  and
M. Guiatni
A. Belmouhoub*
Affiliation:
Materials and Electronic Systems Laboratory, University of Mohamed El Bachir El Ibrahimi, Bordj Bou Arreridj, Algeria
S. Medjmadj
Affiliation:
Laboratory of Control University of Setif and University of Bordj Bou Arreridj, Algeria
Y. Bouzid
Affiliation:
Complex Systems Control and Simulators (CSCS) laboratory, Ecole Militaire Polytechnique, Bordj el Bahri, Algiers, Algeria
S. H. Derrouaoui
Affiliation:
Complex Systems Control and Simulators (CSCS) laboratory, Ecole Militaire Polytechnique, Bordj el Bahri, Algiers, Algeria
M. Guiatni
Affiliation:
Complex Systems Control and Simulators (CSCS) laboratory, Ecole Militaire Polytechnique, Bordj el Bahri, Algiers, Algeria
*
*Corresponding author. Email: belmouhoub.amina@gmail.com
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Abstract

Robust control of non-linear systems is a challenging task, notably in the presence of external disturbances and uncertain parameters. The main focus of this paper is to solve the trajectory tracking problem of an unconventional quadrotor with rotating arms (also known as a foldable drone), while overcoming some of the challenges associated with this type of vehicle. Therefore, in a first step, the model of this vehicle is presented, taking into account the change of the inertia, the centre of gravity, and the control matrix. The theoretical foundations of backstepping control, based on the finite time Lyapunov stability theory and enhanced by a Super-Twisting algorithm, are then discussed. Numerical simulations are performed to demonstrate the efficiency of the suggested control approach. Finally, a qualitative and quantitative comparative study of the proposed controller with the conventional backstepping controller is performed. Overall, the obtained results show that the proposed control strategy outperforms in terms of accuracy and resilience.

Keywords

Unconventional quadrotorFoldable droneBackstepping controlSuper-Twisting algorithmRobust control
Type
Research Article
Information
The Aeronautical Journal , Volume 127 , Issue 1310 , April 2023 , pp. 627 - 650
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Copyright
© The Author(s), 2022. Published by Cambridge University Press on behalf of Royal Aeronautical Society

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