Integrative backstepping for one link manipulator quadrotor trajectory tracking

Resumo

The Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Manipulator (UAVM), is a robotic system formed by a UAV equipped
with a manipulator and because of their high maneuverability and vertical takeoff and landing is possible to perform
activities in small spaces. To face the dynamical coupling challenges, a mathematical model of the UAVM in
the vertical plane is developed, considering a quadcopter UAV, with three degrees of freedom, equipped with a
planar manipulator with one degree of freedom. The model is based on the classic Euler-Lagrange equation,
considering the aerodynamic effects on the vehicle and the manipulator (drag forces), neglecting the effects of
rotors on the manipulator. A backstepping control approach, divided into two sub controls, position control and
attitude control, is studied. The controller is tested through numerical simulations for cases of passive and active
manipulation, while the vehicle is tracking a trajectory. Movements of the vehicle with the manipulator locked
showed the smallest errors in trajectory tracking. Both vehicle and manipulator moving simultaneously, make
the error increase. Therefore, it is recommended that the vehicle only performs decoupled movements, avoiding
sudden changes in the UAVM center of mass (CoM).