Improved digital tracking controller design for pilot-scale unmanned helicopter

In this paper, methods for improved design of digital tracking controller for a pilot-scale unmanned helicopter are considered. By discretizing the linearized helicopter model, the linear quadratic with integral (LQI) capability is investigated and applied in order to develop an efficient tracking system including a state-feedback plus integral action. The helicopter velocities are used to formulate a prescribed position reference tracking trajectory. When both process and measurement noises are present, a Kalman filter (KF) is combined with the LQI to form a linear quadratic Gaussian with integral (LQGI) tracking system. Simulation studies illuminate both the capability of the controller design and the accuracy of the estimator. Next, H₂, $H_{\infty }$ and mixed $H_2/H_{\infty }$ controls are designed and the results between methods are produced and compared.