robotics

Coordinated Incremental Trajectory Tracking of a Tailsitter Drone

arXiv:2607.11651

summary

The paper presents an analytical differential flatness transform for tailsitter UAVs in coordinated flight, using rotation matrices to avoid Euler angle issues, and validates the approach experimentally for trajectories with significant vertical motion.

Abstract

This paper derives an analytical differential flatness transform for a tailsitter Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) under coordinated flight conditions using a simplified aerodynamic model. The proposed framework is formulated exclusively using rotation matrices, avoiding the ambiguities inherent to Euler angle representations. The method extends the applicability of an existing state-of-the-art differential flatness-based controller to flight regimes involving a significant vertical velocity component, where the previous approach becomes inapplicable. The proposed framework is validated experimentally with trajectories that highlight its advantages in these regimes.

Topics & keywords

#tailsitter drone#differential flatness#trajectory tracking#coordinated flight#aerodynamic modelingrotation matricessimplified aerodynamic modelvertical velocity componentstate-of-the-art controllerexperimental validation
Coordinated Incremental Trajectory Tracking of a Tailsitter Drone · wovepaper