Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Nonlinear robust control of a quadrotor helicopter with finite time convergence

  • Published:
Control Theory and Technology Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

In this paper, the control problem for a quadrotor helicopter which is subjected to modeling uncertainties and unknown external disturbance is investigated. A new nonlinear robust control strategy is proposed. First, a nonlinear complementary filter is developed to fuse the raw data from the onboard barometer and the accelerometer to decrease the negative effects from the noise associated with the low-cost onboard sensors Then the adaptive super-twisting methodology is combined with a backstepping method to formulate the nonlinear robust controller for the quadrotor’s attitude angles and the altitude position. Lyapunov based stability analysis shows that finite time convergence is ensured for the closed-loop operation of the quadrotor’s roll angle, pitch angle, row angle and the altitude position. Real-time flight experimental results, which are performed on a quadrotor flight testbed, are included to demonstrate the good control performance of the proposed control methodology.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Subscribe and save

Springer+ Basic
$34.99 /Month
  • Get 10 units per month
  • Download Article/Chapter or eBook
  • 1 Unit = 1 Article or 1 Chapter
  • Cancel anytime
Subscribe now

Buy Now

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Y. Du, J. Fang, C. Miao. Frequency domain system identification of an unmanned helicopter based on adaptive genetic algorithm. IEEE Transactions on Industrial Electronics, 2014, 61(2): 870–881.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  2. M. D. Hua, T. Hamel, P. Morin, et al. Introduction to feedback control of underactuated VTOL vehicles: a review of basic control design ideas and principles. IEEE Control System Magzine, 2013, 33(1): 61–75.

    Article  MathSciNet  Google Scholar 

  3. K. Alexis, G. Nikolakopoulos, A. Tzes. Model predictive quadrotor control: attitude, altitude and position experimental studies. IET Control Theory and Applications, 2012, 6(12): 1812–1827.

    Article  MathSciNet  Google Scholar 

  4. B. Zhao, B. Xian, Y. Zhang, et al. Nonlinear robust adaptive tracking control of a quadrotor UAV via immersion and invariance methodology. IEEE Transactions on Industrial Electronics, 2015, 62(5): 2891–2902.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  5. B. Xian, X. Zhang, S. Yang. Nonlinear controller design for an unmanned aerical vehicle with a slung-load. Control Theory & Applications, 2016, 33(3): 273–279 (in Chinese).

    Google Scholar 

  6. W. Hao, B. Xian. Nonlinear fault tolerant control design for quadrotor unmanned aerial vehicle attitude system. Control Theory & Applications, 2015, 32(11): 1457–1463 (in Chinese).

    MATH  Google Scholar 

  7. X. Zhang, B. Xian, B. Zhao, et al. Autonomous flight control of a nano quadrotor helicopter in a GPS-denied environment using on-board vision. IEEE Transactions on Industrial Electronics, 2015, 62(10): 6392–6403.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  8. J. Toledo, L. Acosta, D. Perea, et al. Stability and performance analysis of unmanned aerial vehicles: quadrotor against hexrotor. IET Control Theory and Applications, 2015, 9(8): 1190–1196.

    Article  MathSciNet  Google Scholar 

  9. G. V. Raffo, M. G. Ortega, F. R. Rubio. An integral predictive/nonlinear H8 control structure for a quadrotor helicopter. Automatica, 2010, 46(1): 29–39.

    Article  MathSciNet  MATH  Google Scholar 

  10. R. Zhang, Q. Quan, K. Y. Cai. Attitude control of a quadrotor aircraft subject to a class of time-varying disturbances. IET Control Theory and Applications, 2011, 5(1): 1140–1146.

    Article  MathSciNet  Google Scholar 

  11. H. Ramirez-Rodriguez, V. Parra-Vega, A. Sanchez-Orta, et al. Robust backstepping control based on integral sliding modes for tracking of quadrotors. Journal of Intelligent and Robotic Systems, 2014, 73(1/4): 51–66.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  12. H. Liu, Y. Bai, G. Lu, et al. Robust motion control of uncertain quadrotors. Journal of the Franklin Institute, 2014, 351(12): 5494–5510.

    Article  MathSciNet  Google Scholar 

  13. H. Liu, Y. Bai, G. Lu, et al. Robust tracking control of a quadrotor helicopter. Journal of Intelligent and Robotic Systems, 2014, 75(3/4): 595–608.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  14. B. J. Bialy, J. Klotz, K. Brink, et al. Lyapunov-based robust adaptive control of a quadrotor UAV in the presence of modeling uncertainties. Proceedings of the American Control Conference, Washington: IEEE, 2013: 13–18.

    Google Scholar 

  15. Y. Yu, X. Ding, J. Zhu. Attitude tracking control of a quadrotor UAV in the exponential coordinates. Journal of the Franklin Institute, 2013, 350(8): 2044–2068.

    Article  MathSciNet  MATH  Google Scholar 

  16. L. Derafaa, A. Benallegueb, L. Fridman. Super twisting controlal gorithm for the attitude tracking of a four rotors UAV. Journal of the Franklin Institute, 2012, 349(2): 658–699.

    Article  MathSciNet  Google Scholar 

  17. Y. Shtesse, M. Taleb, F. Plestan. A novel adaptive-gain supertwisting sliding mode controller: methodology and application. Automatica, 2012, 48(5): 759–769.

    Article  MathSciNet  MATH  Google Scholar 

  18. F. Kendoul, Z. Yu, K. Nonami. Guidance and nonlinear control system for autonomous flight of minirotorcraft unmanned aerial vehicles. Journal of Field Robotics, 2010, 27(3): 311–334.

    Google Scholar 

  19. B. Xian, C. Diao, B. Zhao, et al. Nonlinear robust output feedback tracking control of a quadrotor UAV using quaternion representation. Nonlinear Dynamics, 2015, 79(4): 2735–2752.

    Article  MathSciNet  MATH  Google Scholar 

  20. I. Gonzalez, S. Salazar, R. Lozano, et al. Real-time altitude robust controller for a quad-rotor aircraft using sliding-mode control technique. Proceeding of the International Conference on Unmanned Aircraft Systems, Atlanta: IEEE, 2013: 650–659.

    Google Scholar 

  21. J. Hu, H. Zhang. Immersion and invariance based commandfiltered adaptive backstepping control of VTOL vehicles. Automatica, 2013, 49(7): 2160–2167.

    Article  MathSciNet  MATH  Google Scholar 

  22. R. Mahony, T. Hamel, J. M. Pflimlin. Nonlinear complementary filters on the special orthogonal group. IEEE Transactions on Automatic Control, 2008, 53(5): 1203–1218.

    Article  MathSciNet  MATH  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Electrical and Information Engineering, Tianjin University, Tianjin, 300072, China

    Guozhou Zheng & Bin Xian

Authors
  1. Guozhou Zheng
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Bin Xian
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Bin Xian.

Additional information

This work was supported by the Key Project of Tianjin Science and Technology Support Program (No. 15ZCZDGX00810), the Natural Science Foundation of Tianjin (No. 14JCZDJC31900), and the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Nos. 91748121, 90916004, 60804004).

Guozhou ZHENG is a graduate student with the School of Electrical and Information Engineering, Tianjin University. His main research area is nonlinear control of quadrotor unmanned aerial vehicle.

Bin XIAN is a professor with the School of Electrical and Information Engineering, Tianjin University. His main research area focuses on autonomous unmanned aerial vehicles, intelligent robot system, and nonlinear control.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Zheng, G., Xian, B. Nonlinear robust control of a quadrotor helicopter with finite time convergence. Control Theory Technol. 16, 133–144 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11768-018-6124-7

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Revised:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11768-018-6124-7

Keywords

Search

Navigation