Geometry Enhanced Optimal Control Technique for Acrobatic Flip Motion of Quadcopter

TL;DR

This paper introduces a geometry-enhanced finite time θ-D control method for VP quadcopters, enabling efficient and singularity-free acrobatic flips with near-optimal feedback control.

Contribution

It proposes a novel control strategy combining geometric techniques with finite time θ-D control for acrobatic flips in VP quadcopters, improving efficiency and avoiding singularities.

Findings

Effective control of acrobatic flips demonstrated in simulations

Reduced computational complexity compared to SDRE technique

Singularity issues in rotation matrices are successfully avoided

Abstract

A nonlinear optimal control strategy, named the geometry enhanced finite time $\boldsymbol{\theta-}$D technique, is proposed to manipulate the acrobatic flip flight of variable pitch (VP) quadcopter unmanned aerial vehicles (abbreviated as VP copter). A unique superiority of the VP copter, which can provide the thrust in both positive and negative vertical directions by varying the pitch angles of blades, facilitates the acrobatic flip motion. The finite time $\boldsymbol{\theta-}$D technique can offer a closed-form near-optimal state feedback control law with online computational efficiency as compared with the finite time state-dependent Riccati equation (SDRE) technique. Meanwhile, by virtue of the geometric technique, the singularity issue of the rotation matrix in the acrobatic flip maneuver can be avoided. The simulation experiments verify the proposed control strategy is effective and efficient.