Nonlinear Control of a Novel Class of Tilt-Rotor Quadcopters Using Sliding Mode Method: Theory and Hardware Implementation
Publication: Journal of Aerospace Engineering
Volume 35, Issue 3
Abstract
This paper proposes a sliding mode controller for a novel kind of quadcopter called tilt-rotor quadcopter. The controller is modeled in SIMULINK and implemented on a Pixhawk 2 flight controller board. First, this paper presents the dynamic model of the tilt-rotor quadcopter. Second, the proposed smart sliding mode controller for simulation studies is presented. Third, the hardware platform is discussed in detail with the controller implementation. Finally, numerical simulation results for the smart sliding mode controller for various scenarios (wind disturbances, faulty motors) are presented following which the preliminary hardware tuning results are presented. Simulation results of the tilt-rotor platform hovering at a position with a nonzero attitude are also shown. This paper also presents a discussion on the challenges faced transitioning from a simulation environment to hardware testing and plausible ideas to address the challenges.
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Data Availability Statement
Some or all data, models, or code that support the findings of this study are available from the corresponding author upon reasonable request, including MATLAB scripts and SIMULINK models.
Acknowledgments
This material is based upon work supported by the National Science Foundation under Grant No. IIP- 1526677. Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation.
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Journal of Aerospace Engineering
Volume 35 • Issue 3 • May 2022
Copyright
© 2022 American Society of Civil Engineers.
History
Received: Apr 11, 2021
Accepted: Dec 30, 2021
Published online: Feb 24, 2022
Published in print: May 1, 2022
Discussion open until: Jul 24, 2022
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