Triple tilting rotor mini-UAV: Modeling and embedded control of the attitude

The goal of this paper is to present a novel configuration for a three-rotor mini unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV). The proposed design incorporates advantageous structural features which enhance the maneuverability of the rotorcraft. The detailed mathematical model of the vehicle´s attitude is obtained through the Newton-Euler formulation. In terms of control, we propose a control law which is robust with respect to dynamical couplings and adverse torques. The vehicle tilts simultaneously the three rotors to stabilize the yaw dynamics. The resulting control algorithm is simple for embedded purposes. A customized low-cost embedded system was developed to test an autonomous stabilized-attitude flight, obtaining satisfactory results.