Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Small Helicopter Control Design Based on Model Reduction and Decoupling

  • Published:
Journal of Intelligent and Robotic Systems Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

In this paper a complete nonlinear mathematical model of a small scale helicopter is derived. A coupling between input and output variables, revealed by the model, is investigated. The influences that particular inputs have on particular outputs are examined, and their dependence on flying conditions is shown. In order to demonstrate this dependence, the model is linearized in various operating points, and linear, direct and decoupling, controllers are determined. Simulation results, presented at the end of the paper, confirm that the proposed control structure could be successfully used for gain scheduling or switching control of a small scale helicopter in order to provide acrobatic flight by using simple linear controllers.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Woodley, B., Jones, H., Frew, E., LeMaster, E., Rock, S.: A contestant in the 1997 international aerial robotics competition. In: AUVSI Proceedings. Aerospace Robotics Laboratory, Stanford University, July (1997)

  2. Buskey, G., Roberts, J., Corke, P., Wyeth, G.: Helicopter automation using a low-cost sensing system. In: Proceedings of the Australian Conference on Robotics and Automation (2003)

  3. Gavrilets, V., Martinos, I., Mettler, B., Feron, E.: Control logic for automated aerobatic flight of a miniature helicopter. In: Proceedings of the AIAA Guidance, Navigation, and Control Conference, (Monterey, CA). Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, August (2002)

  4. Ab Wahab, A., Mamat, R., Shamsudin, S.S.: Control system design for an autonomous helicopter model in hovering using pole placement method. In: Proceedings of the 1st Regional Conference on Vehicle Engineering and Technology, 3–5 July. Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia (2006)

  5. Buskey, G., Roberts, J., Wyeth, G.: A helicopter named Dolly – behavioural cloning for autonomous helicopter control. In: Proceedings of the Australian Conference on Robotics and Automation (2003)

  6. Castillo, C., Alvis, W., Castillo-Effen, M., Valavanis, K., Moreno, W.: Small scale helicopter analysis and controller design for non-aggressive flights. In: Proceedings of the IEEE SMC Conference (2005)

  7. Yang, C.-D., Liu, W.-H.: Nonlinear decoupling hover control of helicopter H00 with parameter uncertainties. In: Proceedings of the American Control Conference (2003)

  8. Maclay, D., Williams, S.J.: The use of μ-synthesis in full envelope, helicopter flight control system design. In: Proceedings of the IEEE International Conference on Control (1991)

  9. De Nardi, R., Togelius, J., Holland, O.E., Lucas, S.M.: Evolution of neural networks for helicopter control: why modularity matters. In: Proceedings of the IEEE Congress on Evolutionary Computation, July (2006)

  10. Ng, A.Y., Jin Kim, H., Jordan, M.I., Sastry, S.: Autonomous helicopter flight via reinforcement learning. In: Proceedings of the NIPS Conference, ICML, Pittsburgh, PA (2006)

  11. Budiyono, A., Wibowo, S.S.: Optimal tracking controller design for a small scale helicopter. In: Proceedings of the ITB, March (2005)

  12. Piercy, N.A.V.: Elementary Aerodynamics. English University Press, London (1944)

    Google Scholar 

  13. Kari, U.: Application of model predictive control to a helicopter model. Master thesis, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Swiss Federal institute of Technology Zurich (2003)

  14. NASA: Shape Effects on Drag. www.grc.nasa.gov

  15. Seborg, D.E., Edgar, T.F., Mellichamp, D.A.: Process Dynamics and Control. Wiley, New York (1989)

    Google Scholar 

  16. Ogunnaike, B.A., Ray, W.H.: Process Dynamics, Modelling and Control. Oxford University Press, Oxford (1994)

    Google Scholar 

  17. Tham, M.T.: Multivariable Control: An Introduction to Decoupling Control. University of Newcastle upon Tyne, Newcastle upon Tyne (1999)

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Laboratory for Robotics and Intelligent Control Systems, Department of Control and Computer Engineering, Faculty of Electrical Engineering and Computing, University of Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia

    Ivana Palunko & Stjepan Bogdan

Authors
  1. Ivana Palunko
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Stjepan Bogdan
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Stjepan Bogdan.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Palunko, I., Bogdan, S. Small Helicopter Control Design Based on Model Reduction and Decoupling. J Intell Robot Syst 54, 201–228 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10846-008-9260-3

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10846-008-9260-3

Keywords

Search

Navigation