Application of substantial and sustained force to vertical surfaces using a quadrotor

H. W. Wopereis, J. J. Hoekstra, T. H. Post, G. A. Folkertsma, S. Stramigioli, M. Fumagalli

Research output: Contribution to book/anthology/report/conference proceedingArticle in proceedingResearchpeer-review

52 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

In the field of aerial robotics, one of the key challenges is to enable aerial manipulators to exert substantial forces on the environment. Enabling this will allow the technology to perform meaningful tasks airborne, such as cleaning or grinding surfaces. While in contact and applying a large, continuous force, control of the UAV's attitude is a challenge. In this work, we show that a regular (PID-based) attitude controller is incapable of stabilizing aerial manipulators that apply physical contact forces on the environment that are comparable to the UAV's weight. We present a novel control algorithm that uses an LQR-optimized state feedback on the roll and yaw angle while in contact. Experiments on a UAV of 1.5 kg show that the proposed controller is capable of applying a contact force of over 15 N - equal to the UAV's weight - sustained for several minutes.

Original languageEnglish
Title of host publicationICRA 2017 - IEEE International Conference on Robotics and Automation
Number of pages6
PublisherIEEE
Publication date21 Jul 2017
Pages2704-2709
Article number7989314
ISBN (Electronic)978-1-5090-4633-1
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 21 Jul 2017
Event2017 IEEE International Conference on Robotics and Automation, ICRA 2017 - Singapore, Singapore
Duration: 29 May 20173 Jun 2017

Conference

Conference2017 IEEE International Conference on Robotics and Automation, ICRA 2017
Country/TerritorySingapore
CitySingapore
Period29/05/201703/06/2017

Fingerprint

Dive into the research topics of 'Application of substantial and sustained force to vertical surfaces using a quadrotor'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.

Cite this