Control of a Quadrotor/Bicopter UAV on SE(3) via Feedback Linearization

Man Chun Chung, Mahdis Bisheban, Jeff Pieper

Keywords: Feedback Linearization, Backstepping, SE(3), Quadrotor, Bicopter, Uncrewed Aerial Vehicle

TL;DR: This work introduces a trajectory tracking control system for a quadrotor and a bicopter UAV, which is in theory globally exponentially stable and is free from singularities and ambiguities.

Abstract: This work introduces a trajectory tracking control system for a quadrotor and a bicopter uncrewed aerial vehicle, comprising a unified position and partial attitude controller, a separate yaw controller and an inner motor controller. Departing from the cascade control structure, the proposed unified controller eliminates the need for the two layered controller through feedback linearization. Compared to a cascade controller, this results in global exponential stability under a nominal condition. The yaw dynamics, being the last degree of freedom, is controlled separately. The unified and the yaw controllers are designed directly on SE(3) to avoid singularities and ambiguities associated with local coordinates. Additionally, an inner motor controller is introduced to account for motor dynamics, thereby addressing hardware constraints and improving trajectory tracking performance. This methodology is extendable to other multirotors, providing a robust solution for diverse applications.

Submission Number: 40