Optimal trajectory generation and robust flatness–based tracking control of quadrotors

Abstract

SummaryThis work proposes an optimal trajectory generation and a robust flatness–based tracking controller design to create a new performance guidance module for the quadrotor in dense indoor environments. The properties of the differential flatness, the B‐spline, and the direct collocation method are exploited to convert the constrained optimization problem into a nonlinear programming one, which can be easily resolved by a classic solver. After that, the obtained optimal reference trajectory is applied to the dynamic quadrotor model and two different flatness‐based controllers, namely, one based on feedback linearization and one based on feedforward linearization, are developed and compared to ensure the trajectory tracking despite the existence of disturbances and parametric uncertainties. Numerical simulation is executed to evaluate the proposed optimal trajectory generation approach and the robust tracking strategies. It turns out that the controller based on feedforward linearization outperforms the feedback linearization one in robustness and permits obtaining a performance guidance law for an uncertain quadrotor system.