Geometric control of a quadrotor UAV transporting a payload connected via flexible cable

Abstract

We derived a coordinate-free form of equations of motion for a complete model of a quadrotor UAV with a payload which is connected via a flexible cable according to Lagrangian mechanics on a manifold. The flexible cable is modeled as a system of serially-connected links and has been considered in the full dynamic model. A geometric nonlinear control system is presented to asymptotically stabilize the position of the quadrotor while aligning the links to the vertical direction below the quadrotor. Numerical simulation and experimental results are presented and a rigorous stability analysis is provided to confirm the accuracy of our derivations. These results will be particularly useful for aggressive load transportation that involves large deformation of the cable.