MMAC Height Control System of a Quadrotor for Constant Unknown Load Transportation

Abstract

This paper presents a methodology for height control of a quadrotor that transports a constant unknown load, given the estimates on both weight and state variables, based on measurements from motion sensors installed on-board. The proposed control and estimation framework is a Multi-Model Adaptive Controller using LQR with integrative action and Kalman filter with integrative component. The control system obtained is validated both in simulation and experimentally, resorting to an off-the-shelf commercially available quadrotor equipped with an IMU, an ultrasound height sensor, and a barometer, among other sensors.