Feedback linearization and linear observer for a quadrotor unmanned aerial vehicle

Increasing interest is being paid to the use of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) in environment exploration applications. These kinds of systems are non-linear, non-holonomic and measurement of all pertinent signals is not possible either due to cost or lack of availabile technology. The performance and characteristics of a Luenberger observer, combined with a classical polynomial controller (based on an accurate model of the plant) and applied to a quadrotor UAV, are analyzed in this paper. The observer used to overcome to sensor availability is shown to be efficient when dealing with bounded uncertainties and disturbances. The analysis is based on tracking errors during transients and at the steady state, and on performance and robustness with respect to plant uncertainties. Estimation of wind parameters is added to reinforce the robustness. Simulation results are provided and output trajectories are analyzed.