Control allocation for a ducted-fan aerial robot employing both lift and drag forces

Abstract

In this work we consider the modeling and the design of control allocation algorithms for an innovative prototype of ducted-fan aerial robot characterized by a redundant number of aerodynamic control surfaces. The control allocation algorithms are designed to combine the effects of the aerodynamic forces produced by deflecting the control surfaces in order to generate a desired resultant control wrench vector. It is shown how, employing also the aerodynamic drag forces, additional control inputs can be generated to improve the number of degrees of freedom that can be actually governed by the control law. The proposed solutions are then compared both in term of energy efficiency and control properties by taking advantage of a detailed model of the system.