High performance disturbance observer based control of the nonlinear 2DOF helicopter system

This paper addresses the challenges of the disturbance observer (DOB) algorithms faced with highly nonlinear electromechanical systems which are dealing with high resolution and high speed operations. It describes the synthesis of robust and stable controllers and their applications in controlling azimuth and elevation angles of the helicopter model CE 150 supplied by Humosoft. Description of the helicopter, including its mechanical characteristics and mathematical model, is given in the paper. Tracking error, transient performances, power consumption and motor strains are used for the validation of control quality. Implementation of the control system on the experimental setup is also explained. MATLAB and Simulink are used as tools for developing the simulation model of the helicopter system. Obtained simulations are showing that developed controllers provide significantly improved results even in the presence of unknown and unpredictable inputs (disturbance and noise), unpredictable and unknown dynamics, external forces (torques) and change of the system parameters.