Dynamics and Control of a Helicopter Carrying a Payload Using a Cable-Suspended Robot

In this paper we present a study of the dynamics and control of a helicopter carrying a payload through a cable-suspended robot. The helicopter can perform gross motion, while the cable suspended robot underneath the helicopter can modulate a platform in position and orientation. Due to the underactuated nature of the helicopter, the operation of this dual system consisting of the helicopter and the cable robot is challenging. We propose here a two time scale control method, which makes it possible to control the helicopter and the cable robot independently. In addition, this method provides an effective estimation on the bound of the motion of the helicopter. Therefore, even in the case where the helicopter motion is unknown, the cable robot can be stabilized by implementing a robust controller. Simulation results of the dual system show that the proposed control approach is effective for such a helicopter-robot system.