Energy-efficient control of multi-lift unmanned rotorcraft systems

LUCIO SALINAS; JAVIER GIMENEZ; GANDOLFO, DANIEL; ROSALES, CLAUDIO; CARELLI RICARDO

Londres

Congreso; IEEE International Conference on Robotics and Automation (ICRA); 2023

IEEE

Interest in multi-lift rotorcraft systems has reemerged in recent years to overcome some of the problems in single unmanned aerial vehicle handling and delivery systems. Using multiple unmanned rotorcrafts (URs) the load weight can be evenly distributed among the vehicles, extending the flight time and therefore increasing the working distance of such systems. In this context, this work presents the simulation results of an energy-efficient payload-based unified motion control that allows any number of URs to cooperatively transport a slung load in forward flight. The motion control comprises path-following and trajectory-tracking algorithms, considers obstacle avoidance, implements a specific strategy for load weight distribution by regulating the relative altitude of each UR, and is robust to disturbances such as wind.