Model and Observer-Based Controller Design for a Quanser Helicopter with Two DOF

In this work, the dynamic model and the prototype control for a helicopter of 2 Degrees of Freedom (DOF) are presented. The model of the system is nonlinear and open loop unstable, which is obtained by using the equations of movement of Euler-Lagrange. The resulting linear model is function of an operating point. The controller design consists of two control loops, one for the elevation angle (Pitch) and the other for rotational motion (Yaw). For the control system, state feedback techniques are used and an observer is designed to estimate all states. The equations from the state feedback control scheme with observer are described and from them, a central controller is designed. This is an observer-based control. The controller achieves stability and good performance in different operating points. The model was found by considering additional parameters that were not taken into account in the model provided by the manufacturer, obtaining a more accurate model.