Cooperative Aerial Load Transport with Attitude Stabilization

We consider multiple quadcopters with a rigid extension to transport a payload. We model the contact force between each quadcopter and the payload using a linear spring model. We develop a force and orientation control algorithm that guarantees attitude stabilization of the payload and the convergence of the contact force and the velocity of each quadcopter to desired setpoints. In particular, we develop time varying force setpoints to enforce attitude regulation. The algorithm provides desired thrust and attitude angles required for each quadcopter to cooperatively transport the payload. We analyze the stability of the system using singular perturbation theory. We demonstrate the effectiveness of the algorithms in numerical simulations.