A Reference Governor with Adaptive Performance for Quadrotors under Safety Constraints

Abstract

This paper presents a novel robust reference governor (RG) for trajectory tracking of quadrotors. The proposed scheme is characterized by low computational complexity and straightforward gain selection. Moreover, it considers safety constraints regarding speed limits and ensures the stability and the proper operation of the closed-loop system. The proposed scheme imposes user-specified performance attributes on the evolution of the tracking error when the safety constraints allow it. When these constraints are at risk of violation, the proposed RG provides a relaxation of the predefined performance specifications to ensure the stability of the plant. Lyapunov analysis proves the boundedness of the closed-loop signals, while its efficacy is further clarified and verified via extensive comparative experimental results against a well-established PI regulator.