Robust Trajectory Tracking for an Uncertain UAV Based on Active Disturbance Rejection

This note addresses the design of a robust trajectory tracking controller based on active disturbance rejection for a quadrotor Unmanned Aircraft Vehicle (UAV). A standard state-feedback linearizing controller, designed using a nominal model, is applied for tracking reference signals. An active disturbance rejection technique based on high-order sliding modes compensates for the uncertainties and nonlinearities. Furthermore, this rejection technique provides robustness against uncertainties and external disturbances after a finite transient time. Outdoors experimental results in a prototype illustrate the workability of the proposed methodology.