Nonlinear trajectory control of a flapping-wing micro aerial vehicle

Purpose - The purpose of this paper is to develop a nonlinear control system for flight trajectory control of flapping Micro Aerial Vehicles (MAVs), subjected to wind. Design/methodology/approach - In the dynamic study and fabrication of the MAV, biomimetic principles are considered as the best inspiration for the MAV's flight as well as design constraints. The blade element theory, which is a two-dimensional quasi-steady state method, is modified to consider the effect of MAV's translational and rotational velocity. A quaternion-based dynamic wrench method is then developed for the dynamic system. Findings - The flapping flight dynamics is highly nonlinear and the system is under-actuated, so any linear control strategy fails to meet any desired maneuver for trajectory tracking. In this study, a controller with quaternion-based feedback linearization method is designed for the dynamical averaged system. It is shown that the original system is bonded to a stable limit cycle with desired amplitude and the controller inputs are bounded. Practical implications - The effectiveness of a synthesized controller is proved for the cruse and the Cuban-8 maneuver. Originality/value - The authors' major contribution is developing feedback linearization quaternion-based controller and deriving some essential mathematics for implementing quaternion model in the synthesis of controller. A piezoelectric-actuated wing model is developed for the control system. Results of cursing and turning modes of the flight indicate the stability of the flight. Finally, an appropriate controller is designed for the Cuban-8 maneuver so that the MAV would follow the trajectory with a bounded fluctuation.