Quadrocopter performance benchmarking using optimal control

Abstract

A numerical method for computing quadrocopter maneuvers between two states is presented. Computed maneuvers satisfy Pontryagin's minimum principle with respect to time-optimality. First, in order to obtain the structure of time-optimal maneuvers, we apply the minimum principle to a first-principles, two-dimensional quadrotor model. Then we present a numerical algorithm that enables the computation of maneuvers for arbitrary initial and final states. The developed method is used to compute a set of maneuvers, which are discussed and demonstrated experimentally in the ETH Zurich Flying Machine Arena testbed. © 2011 IEEE.