A velocity control design for SUAVs based on incremental backstepping

A velocity control approach based on the incremental backstepping (IB) is proposed to enhance the accuracy of the velocity control for the small unmanned aerial vehicles (SUAVs).The velocity control model is first formulated based on the SUAV movement equations and the thrust model. Then, the IB method is applied to the velocity control law design. Feedback of acceleration eliminates sensitivity to model mismatch and other uncertainties. The use of Lyapunov analysis guarantees system stability. A thrust model and a velocity controller, based on IB, are formulated in a SUAV. The proposed method has been verified effective in the simulation and flight tests conducted by the authors.