Robust Nonlinear Controller Design: for a Complete UAV Mission

This book presents a comprehensive treatment of the analysis and design of the robust nonlinear controller for Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV). Robustness against disturbances and model uncertainty is at the heart of control practice. Unmanned Aerial Vehicle flight control systems must be capable of delivering the required performance while handling nonlinearities and uncertainties in the vehicle model, the atmosphere, and ambient wind. These factors necessitate the development of nonlinear flight control system design methods that can handle large nonlinearities and uncertainties. This book presents the results of an exploratory study to examine robust nonlinear controller design methods for the UAV and compare this new approach with existing PID, LQR, and linear H¿ techniques. The mission includes take-off, climb, cruise, a one and a half circle accomplished in a level turn, and a return back to its original airfield accomplished by cruising back, descending, and completing an approach and landing. Since the method must then be verified, its flight simulation will be done using MATLAB/SIMULINK.

Dr. Mohammad Sadraey is an Assistant Professor in the Engineering School at the Daniel Webster College, Nashua, New Hampshire, USA. He received his MS in Aerospace Engineering in 1995 from RMIT, Melbourne, Australia, and hid PhD in Aerospace Engineering in 2006 from the University of Kansas, Kansas, USA. Dr. Sadraey is a member of AIAA.