Disturbance observer-based robust coordination control for unmanned autonomous helicopter slung-load system via coupling analysis method

Highlights：

• This work studies the robust coordination control for a strong coupled and under-actuated unmanned autonomous helicopter (UAH) slung-load system subject to external disturbances.

• Since there exists the strong coupling between the slung-load and UAH system during the flight process, the dynamic coupling matrix is given to analyze the coupling relationship between the UAH position system and the slung-load system. Then, a robust coordination controller is designed for the position system of the UAH and slung-load one by combining the hierarchical sliding mode control and DOBC method.

• Based on Lyapunov stability theory, during estimating the derivative of Lyapunov function, whether the elements of the coupling are beneficial or harmful is discussed for the attitude system of the UAH. Then, an improved controller is designed for the UAH attitude system by combining the backstepping method, DOBC technique, and dynamic surface control, in which the detrimental coupling is eliminated and the beneficial one is retained to improve the control performance.

摘要

•This work studies the robust coordination control for a strong coupled and under-actuated unmanned autonomous helicopter (UAH) slung-load system subject to external disturbances.•Since there exists the strong coupling between the slung-load and UAH system during the flight process, the dynamic coupling matrix is given to analyze the coupling relationship between the UAH position system and the slung-load system. Then, a robust coordination controller is designed for the position system of the UAH and slung-load one by combining the hierarchical sliding mode control and DOBC method.•Based on Lyapunov stability theory, during estimating the derivative of Lyapunov function, whether the elements of the coupling are beneficial or harmful is discussed for the attitude system of the UAH. Then, an improved controller is designed for the UAH attitude system by combining the backstepping method, DOBC technique, and dynamic surface control, in which the detrimental coupling is eliminated and the beneficial one is retained to improve the control performance.