Stabilization and trajectory tracking of a subactuated aircraft based on a Geometric Algebra approach

A novel approach to the modeling and control of a subactuated aircraft is performed based on Geometric Algebra (GA) principles. The selected platform for analysis is a quad rotorcraft. The derived model leverages objects from GA, such as the rotor, to perform rotations, replacing the need for Euler angles and quaternions. Controllers, which operate exclusively on GA objects, are developed to regulate the altitude, attitude, and translation of the quad rotorcraft. Numerical examples, including way-point navigation and trajectory tracking, illustrate the feasibility of the GA approach.