Altitude control of an adaptive controller combine with Kalman filter for a mini-quadrotor aircraft

Abstract

          In general, the altitude of radio controlled quadrotor aircraft is controlled using feedback from the atmospheric pressure sensor. However, the noise associate with the pressure sensor is quite high thus results in loss of control performance. Moreover, the system uncertainty such as load mass change could affect the accuracy of control results. Therefore, the objective of this research was to control the altitude of the quadrotor aircraft using the Kalman observer to estimate the altitude from the pressure sensor together with the vertical acceleration signal from the acceleration sensor. To reduce the effect of system instability, an adaptive feedback control was used to control the altitude level by experimenting with a real radio controlled quadrotor aircraft and the    signaling can be reliably monitored. The equation of adaptive control algorithm of the mass can be self-adjusted stably. Compared to the backstepping controller method, the adaptive controller method can track the reference signal more precisely.