Robust tracking controller for UAVs

Abstract

In this study, a nonlinear control technique that guarantee exponential output tracking for unmanned aerial vehicles subject to uncertainties in system dynamics and additive nonlinear disturbances is developed. In the literature, dynamic inversion method which is a nonlinear control technique commonly used within the aerospace community to replace aircraft dynamics with a reference model. Dynamic inversion and robust control methods were usually utilized together to compensate for the uncertainties and ensure output tracking. Review of the literature highlights the fact that, in previous works, estimate of the uncertain system matrices was used in the controller design. In our study, we removed the requirement for the estimate of the uncertain system matrices and yet still guarantee exponential tracking of the reference model.