Quadrocopter performance benchmarking using optimal control

A numerical method for computing quadrocopter maneuvers between two states is presented. Computed maneuvers satisfy Pontryagin's minimum principle with respect to time-optimality. First, in order to obtain the structure of time-optimal maneuvers, we apply the minimum principle to a first-principles, two-dimensional quadrotor model. Then we present a numerical algorithm that enables the computation of maneuvers for arbitrary initial and final states. The developed method is used to compute a set of maneuvers, which are discussed and demonstrated experimentally in the ETH Zurich Flying Machine Arena testbed.

Authors

• Robin Ritz
• Markus Hehn
• Sergei Lupashin
• Raffaello D'Andrea

Keywords

• Trajectory
• Switches
• Vectors
• Parameter extraction
• Equations
• Vehicle dynamics
• Optimal Control
• Minimum Principle
• Arbitrary State
• Dynamical
• Control Input
• Angular Velocity
• Matrix Inequalities
• Switching Time
• Vertical Displacement
• Extraction Parameters
• State Trajectories
• Pitch Angle
• Switching Function
• Horizontal Displacement
• Constant Vector
• Unknown Constant
• Augmented System
• Trajectory Control
• Trajectory Generation
• Optimal Control Input
• Adjoint Equations
• Input Trajectory
• Gyroscope
• Costate
• Optimal Control Law
• Good Initial Guess
• Trajectory Optimization
• Optimal Input