Adaptive fuzzy model-free control for 3D trajectory tracking of quadrotor

This paper presents a novel adaptive control strategy with rejection ability for unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), namely fuzzy model-free control (FMFC). It is based on the model-free control (MFC) concept, where the control parameters are tuned online using fuzzy logic. The controller assumes an ultra-local model that can compensate unknown/unmodelled dynamics, uncertainties and external disturbances, ensuring a good robustness level. Moreover, the fuzzy logic system is used to tune online the proportional-derivative terms due to its heuristic aspect. These compensation and adaptation mechanisms allow ensuring good compromise robustness-performance even in the presence of disturbances. Several experiments, using RotorS Gazebo micro aerial vehicle (MAV) simulator, are provided to demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed controller compared with other techniques. The fuzzy model-free controller shows superior performance without the time-consuming and tedious tuning task.