Controller Based on Combined Tracking Error Applied in a Tilt-rotor MAV

This work proposes a control scheme, based on combined tracking error, for controlling a quadrotor in a tilting configuration. One of the main benefits of the tilting mechanism is that such a structure allows to increasing the workspace, in comparison with the classical quadrotor and, as a consequence, tilting drones can reach more complex surfaces. In this vein, such advantages could be profited on performing more advanced tasks such as transportation of pay-loads, high-speed grasping, image acquisition and sensing (finding cracks in pipelines). In this way, by adopting the Euler-Lagrange formalism, this work presents the mathematical model of the tilting quadrotor that describes the displacements in one of their planes. In addition, the control scheme is proposed by guaranteeing closed-loop stability, where its analysis has been derived by considering the Lyapunov approach. Finally, some numerical examples have been considered in order to evaluate and validate the control strategy.