Commande hybride d' un drone convertible pour des d\'eplacements sous optimaux

TL;DR

This paper presents the design of hybrid nonlinear control laws for a convertible drone capable of vertical takeoff and horizontal flight, enabling optimal and adaptable maneuvering in various operational contexts.

Contribution

It introduces two Lyapunov-based nonlinear control laws for mode switching in a hybrid UAV, validated through real-world implementation.

Findings

Control laws ensure mode stability and switching validity.

Hybrid control improves maneuverability and operational flexibility.

Implementation demonstrates real-world applicability.

Abstract

Whether for their maneuverability, autonomy or ergonomics, convertible UAVs, meaning those with the ability to take off or land vertically and fly like an airplane, present many interests. However, their dynamics are complicated by various phenomena such as non-linearities, aerodynamic couplings or the large number of degrees of freedom, and it is necessary to use new control tools. Thus, hybrid control becomes crucial, useful when making binary choices. Since the drone is able to move in two ways, in pseudo-stationary flight and in horizontal flight, the question of the relevance of a command with respect to the other, according to the operational context, arises. This problem is answered by the design of two nonlinear control laws, based on Lyapunov functions, which allow to validate the requirements. Therefore, depending on the configuration, the hybrid mechanism will have to select the appropriate flight mode. Finally, with the objective of a flight in real conditions, an implementation has been initiated.