Optimal Tracking Control Experiments for 2-DOF Helicopter: An Open-Implementation Approach

This paper advances the previous work done by Janiak et al., by implementing a generic optimal tracking control law for tracking the motion of a 2-DOF helicopter. While most of the 2-DOF helicopter control algorithms proposed in the literature to date are tested using computer simulations, the focus of the current work is to practically implement a leading optimal tracking control scheme for converging a 2-DOF helicopter to its desired configuration asymptotically. The contribution of the current manuscript is to generalize the implementation framework for various control strategies that can be deployed for controlling the motion of a set of 2-DOF helicopters. The optimal tracking control scheme considered in this work takes into account the measurements of pitch and yaw angles, and their angular speeds to generate actuator commands for main and tail propellers of a 2-DOF helicopter. The performance of the optimal tracking controller is demonstrated using a set experiments conducted in a laboratory setting.