Attitude Determination for Multirotor Aerial Vehicles using a
Predefined-time Super Twisting Algorithm
Abstract
In recent works, well-known three-dimensional localization methods
studied in the aerospace field have been revisited for applications on
multirotor aerial vehicles (MAVs). However, most of these classic
methods employ stochastic estimators that are asymptotically stable, in
a stochastic sense, and exhibit high sensitivity to disturbances and
model uncertainties. The goal of this paper is to propose and evaluate a
novel solution to the localization problem of MAVs, employing
multivariable robust observers based on sliding-mode techniques. Aiming
to improve on the existing methods usually based on the extended Kalman
filter, this paper investigates sliding-mode techniques to reach
finite-time stabilization of the estimation error and provide robustness
to disturbances and uncertainties. The super-twisting algorithm (STA) is
considered as a starting point for its recognized performance when used
to design differentiators. In particular, a modification of the STA is
proposed, replacing one of its terms with a certain time-varying
function that allows the upper bound of the settling time of the
resulting algorithm to be a direct adjustable parameter. The proposed
algorithm’s behavior is numerically evaluated and is shown to yield the
predicted properties even in the presence of bounded disturbances and
uncertainties. Additionally, an attitude determination problem employing
the proposed algorithm is presented as an application. The
three-dimensional attitude and angular velocity of an MAV are accurately
estimated under strict settling-time restrictions, using only the vector
measurements provided by an accelerometer and a magnetometer.