Integral sliding mode backstepping control of quadrotors for robust position tracking

A backstepping-based controller that induces integral sliding modes for underactuated lightweight quadrotors is presented for the Newton-Euler dynamic model subject to smooth bounded disturbances, including wind gust and sideslip aerodynamics, as well as dissipative drag in position and orientation dynamics. The chattering-free sliding mode compensates for persistent or intermittent, and possible time-varying, state dependant disturbances. The closed-loop dynamics rejects such disturbances with a chattering-free control effort showing a robust position tracking, possibly with reduced information of the dynamic model. Representative simulations are presented and discussed.