Stabilization of a Quadrotor via Energy Shaping

Abstract: Stabilization of a quadrotor without a controller based on cascade structure is a challenging problem. Besides, due to the dynamics and the number of underactuation, an energy shaping controller has not been designed in 3D for a quadrotor. This paper presents a novel solution to the potential energy shaping problem for a quadrotor utilizing the Interconnection and Damping Assignment Passivity Based Control (IDA-PBC) approach. For the first time, we extend the solution of PDEs from the 2D case to the full 3D scenario. This advancement seems to be a significant step forward for stabilization of underactuated aerial vehicles without a cascade controller. The results are verified via simulation on a typical quadrotor.