Quadrotor trajectory tracking using combined stochastic model-free position and DDPG-based attitude control.

Abstract

This article presents a cascade controller for the quadrotor to track the desired trajectory effectively. Unlike previous approaches, this method avoids simplification and linearization assumptions, making it applicable in a wider range of scenarios. A novel linear quadratic tracking method is utilized, which takes into account both process noise and measurement noise while maintaining a model-free nature. Furthermore, the stability analysis of this stochastic method is thoroughly investigated. In terms of attitude control, a model-free approach is adopted. The Deep Deterministic Policy Gradient (DDPG) algorithm is implemented, leveraging an actor-critic network to handle the nonlinearities associated with attitude control. This model-free approach eliminates the need for an accurate model of the quadrotor's dynamics. Simulations are conducted to evaluate the performance of the proposed controller, and the results demonstrate its ability to effectively control the quadrotor, ensuring accurate trajectory tracking and stability.