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Quasi-Static State Feedback Output Tracking for a Slung Load System with Rotor Drag Compensation: PX4-SITL Validation

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Abstract

This paper presents an algorithm for designing a quasi-static state feedback (QSF) for differentially flat nonlinear systems. QSF achieves linear time-invariant (LTI) exponentially stable error dynamics which simplifies controller tuning. The linearizing feedback has an important static dependence on state, i.e., the controller is not dynamic even though traditional static state feedback linearization is not possible. We apply the algorithm to a Slung Load System (SLS), which is a flat system consisting of a multirotor drone and suspended payload. After linearization using the QSF, a straightforward output tracking control yields LTI exponentially stable error dynamics in the design coordinates. The QSF is designed to compensate for rotor drag and blade flapping. Integral action compensates for constant force and torque disturbance. The control design is tested in an open-source PX4 Software-in-the-Loop (SITL) simulation. An automatic software pipeline is presented for transforming the symbolic controller expression into a C++ executable which can run on a real-world autopilot.

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Code Availability

https://github.com/ANCL/SLS_PX4_SITL

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Funding

This work was supported by the Natural Science and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC) and Ministry of Economic Development and Trade, Government of Alberta. Zifei Jiang is supported by the China Scholarship Council (CSC) Scholarship

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Alberta, 9211 116 Street NW, Edmonton, T6G 1H9, Alberta, Canada

    Zifei Jiang, Mohamed Al Lawati & Alan Lynch

  2. Department of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering, Sultan Qaboos University, Al Khoud, 123, Muscat, Oman

    Mohamed Al Lawati

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  1. Zifei Jiang
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  2. Mohamed Al Lawati
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  3. Alan Lynch
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Contributions

Material preparation, data collection, design and analysis were performed by Zifei Jiang and Alan Lynch. Preliminary study was done by Mohamed Al Lawati. The first draft of the manuscript was written by Zifei Jiang, and all authors commented on previous versions of the manuscript. All authors read and approved the final manuscript

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Correspondence to Alan Lynch.

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Jiang, Z., Al Lawati, M. & Lynch, A. Quasi-Static State Feedback Output Tracking for a Slung Load System with Rotor Drag Compensation: PX4-SITL Validation. J Intell Robot Syst 109, 42 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10846-023-01937-9

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