Cooperative path-following for multirotor UAVs with a suspended payload

In this paper, we present a cooperative control strategy for a team of multirotor type UAVs to lift a suspended payload. The interconnected system is modeled by the Udwadia-Kalaba equations of constrained motion. A robust path-following controller is developed for each vehicle in the system, and coordination is achieved through synchronization of the path parameterization. Stability of the interconnected system consisting of a network of local path-following controllers is analyzed. Results are verified by numerical simulations.