Modeling and Control of a Hovering Mini Tail-Sitter

Abstract
A systematic approach to characterize and control the attitude of a hovering tail-sitter mini-aerial vehicle (TS-MAV) is developed. A model of the TS-MAV dynamics is formulated by decoupling and linearizing a nonlinear model based on quaternions. Identification of the model parameters was carried out using a prediction error method and flight test data. Two control structures were synthesized to examine the benefits of using an anti-windup proportional-integral regulator in the inner control loop rather than in the outer control loop. It was found that a regulator in the inner loop reduced overshoot and eliminated an unstable pole. Flight tests with a TS-MAV test bed showed that a nine percent overshoot was reduced to zero thereby demonstrating the enhanced responsiveness of the vehicle using this control strategy.

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