3-D path-following with a miniature helicopter using a high-level nonlinear underactuated controller

This work proposes a controller to guide a miniature helicopter during a 3D path-following task, emphasizing its dynamic stabilization, while reaching a set of reference poses. The proposal includes a nonlinear underactuated control strategy previously proposed for the UAV, implemented as an inner closed loop, to stabilize the helicopter in a given reference pose, as well a path-following controller based on the kinematic model of the rotorcraft implemented as an outer closed loop. A proof of the stability of the equilibrium of the whole closed-loop system in the sense of Lyapunov is also presented. Finally, simulation results are presented and discussed, which validate the proposed controller.