Trajectory Tracking of a Quadcopter UAV with Optimal Translational Control

This paper presents a two-level control strategy for the trajectory tracking of the quadcopter. The external loop is designed to move the translational dynamics of the robot to follow smooth parametric functions using an appropriate variables substitution. The outer loop generates the desired trajectories of the orientation angles, which are controlled in the inner loop. The parameter gains are calculated using linear optimal control in order to minimize the energy consumption of the rotors. The control architecture is designed to be compatible with standard electronic platforms of commercial quadcopters and incorporates the purpose of maximizing flight time, an important requirement in real applications of multi-rotor aerial vehicles. Some numerical simulations show the performance of the control approach.