Reliable nonlinear control for quadcopter trajectory tracking through differential flatness

This paper addresses the trajectory tracking problem for a quadcopter system under nominal and fault-affected scenarios (in the latter case, due to stuck actuator(s)). Differential flatness is employed for trajectory generation and control design. The particularity resides in that a full parametrization of the states and inputs is given without any assumptions or simplifications on the quadcopter dynamics. Furthermore, using the properties of flatness and a combination between computed torque control and feedback linearization, a two-layer control design is proposed. The tracking performances and stability gurantees are analyzed for nominal and faulty functioning under extensive simulations.