Inverse Kinematics, Identification, RIC-based Control, and implementation of an Aerial Manipulator

This paper presents the inverse kinematic analysis and parameters identification of a novel aerial manipulation system. This system consists of 2-link manipulator attached to the bottom of a quadrotor. This new system presents a solution for the limitations found in the current quadrotor manipulation system. By deriving the inverse kinematics, one can design the controller such that the desired end effector position and orientation can be tracked. To study the feasibility of the proposed system, a quadrotor with high enough payload to add the 2-link manipulator is designed and constructed. Experimental setup of the system is introduced with an experiment to estimate the rotors parameters. Its parameters are identified to be used in the simulation and controller design of the proposed system. System dynamics are derived briefly based on Newton Euler Method. The controller of the proposed system is designed based on Robust Internal-loop Compensator (RIC) and compared to Fuzzy Model Reference Learning Control (FMRLC) technique which was previously designed and tested for the proposed system. These controllers are tested for provide system stability and trajectory tracking under the effect of picking as well as placing a payload and under the effect of changing the operating region. Simulation framework is implemented in MATLAB/SIMULINK environment. The simulation results indicate the effectiveness of the inverse kinematic analysis and the proposed control technique.