Robust Wrench-Feasible Control for Multiple UAVs Aerial Transportation System with Adaptive Cable Configuration

Abstract

Due to the bounded thrust, motion acceleration, and external disturbances inherent in quadrotor UAVs, traditional hierarchical control methods for multiple UAVs aerial transportation systems (MUATS) with cable-suspended payloads often struggle to guarantee dynamic performance and payload wrench feasibility. To address these challenges, this paper proposes a robust wrench-feasible control framework. First, we design a payload controller based on an extended state observer to estimate and compensate for the total disturbance acting on the payload. Next, a piecewise wrench adjustment strategy (PWAS) is proposed to ensure that the payload wrench balances feasibility and path-tracking ability. Finally, we propose an adaptive cable configuration strategy (ACCS) inspired by capacity margin. When external disturbances approach the system’s wrench capacity, ACCS can dynamically adjust cable configuration to maximize the capacity margin. Experimental results demonstrate the effectiveness and superiority of the proposed method.