A multivariable adaptive controller for autonomous helicopters

Control of autonomous helicopters in the presence of environmental and system uncertainties is a challenging task. These uncertainties not only change the dynamics of the system, but also the trim inputs themselves. In the paper, a multivariable adaptive control methodology is proposed that is applicable for general maneuvers with arbitrary speeds and high bandwidth requirements. The control design methodology achieves global stability, and is tested on a high fidelity simulation of an autonomous helicopter. The results indicate a satisfactory tracking performance even as the speeds and bandwidth requirements are increased well beyond hover, and as the parametric uncertainties and nonlinearities were increased to about 20% of their nominal values.