In context
By mid-2025, flapping-wing micro aerial vehicles (FWMAVs) were emerging as a promising category for agile flight in confined or complex environments, yet their highly nonlinear, time-varying aerodynamics and inherent coupling between attitude and position posed significant control challenges. Most existing controllers relied on decoupled models, which limited precision and stability. This work addressed that gap by developing a coupled, model-based control approach.
What was reported
Researchers from the University of Science and Technology Beijing and Jianghuai Advance Technology Center presented a trajectory tracking controller for a tailless, dual-motor FWMAV. They built a quasi-steady aerodynamic model using blade element theory and a quasi-static approach, incorporating lift, drag, rotational circulation, and added mass effects. Attitude was represented with quaternions to avoid singularities, and a coupled position-attitude dynamic model was derived using Newton-Euler methods.
The controller introduced an intermediate control variable to link position and attitude loops, designed via backstepping on the undecoupled model. Lyapunov analysis proved global stability. Simulations showed rapid response and stable attitude tracking for spiral and V-shaped trajectories. In flight tests, the prototype successfully tracked a spiral ascent and executed a V-shaped trajectory within 6 seconds.
Lift measurements using a Nano17 force sensor showed average errors below 10% across flapping frequencies from 8 Hz to 16 Hz, with larger instantaneous deviations at extreme frequencies.
Why it mattered
This work demonstrated that coupled, nonlinear control can achieve high maneuverability in tailless FWMAVs, potentially enabling more agile and reliable operation in confined or dynamic environments—valuable for inspection, search-and-rescue, and other industrial applications where small, maneuverable aerial robots are needed.
“The prototype completes the tracking of the spiral ascent trajectory and executes the V-shaped trajectory tracking task within 6 s, proving the effectiveness of the designed controller.”
Source: 《机器人》期刊 (robot.sia.cn) · Published 2025-06-09 · “微型扑翼飞行器的动态建模与高机动控制”