Drone Motor Control using Fractional-Order PID Controller

The paper proposes a method for controlling the propulsion or actuators of unmanned aerial systems based on the utilization of a fractional-order PID controller. The utilization of fractional-order based elements in control systems has the potential to be beneficial for drone control, allowing for better tunability than industry-standard integer-order PIDs. In this paper, a simplified model of a drone actuator consisting of a combination of an electric motor and a propeller is considered. A testbed for the actuator control and measurement of key components was designed. The behaviour of the system was identified and modelled with a transfer function. A speed control regulation is then proposed. The response of the system using a conventional PID controller and a fractional-order PID controller is modelled. Both results are compared and discussed, with the difficulties of real-life applications being put forth.