Advanced Control Techniques for High Maneuverability Trajectory Tracking in Autonomous Aerial Robots

摘要

Accurate trajectory tracking is essential for the safe and efficient operation of multirotor aerial vehicles, especially in applications such as search and rescue, package delivery, and aerial surveillance. This paper tackles the challenge of maintaining precise control in real-world scenarios where external disturbances and uncertainties are prevalent. We present a comparative analysis of three control strategies aimed at improving trajectory tracking for autonomous multirotor robots under these conditions. The strategies include (i) a linear PID controller adapted for the multirotor’s nonlinear dynamics, (ii) a nonlinear geometric tracking controller that leverages system nonlinearities to enhance maneuverability, and (iii) a robust Sliding Mode Control (SMC) technique with an adjustable saturation function and Exponential Reaching Law (ERL) to minimize chattering. Evaluation criteria such as tracking accuracy, disturbance rejection, and system stability are used to assess performance. Simulation results indicate that the robust SMC approach achieves the best performance in terms of tracking precision and disturbance resilience, with significantly faster steady-state error convergence—around 80% quicker than the other approaches. Meanwhile, the nonlinear controller outperforms the linear PID controller in challenging conditions. These findings provide practical insights into the advantages and trade-offs of each control method, offering guidance for selecting suitable strategies in advanced multirotor UAV applications.