Robust control of an experimental helicopter using genetic algorithms

This paper presents a novel design of optimal robust control for a two-degree-of-freedom helicopter. The design strategy is composed of the linear quadratic regulator (LQR), the sliding mode control (SMC), and the genetic algorithms (GAs). The LQR is applied to control the flight attitudes of the helicopter first. The SMC is involved in guaranteeing the robustness of system. Furthermore, the GAs is employed to search the optimal parameters of the robust controller. Computer simulations demonstrate the proposed strategy is systematic and possesses the optimal performance and robustness against external disturbance.