3D Path Tracking Controller Based on Fuzzy PID Optimized by PSO for Quadrotor

Quadrotors have developed rapidly due to low-cost, precise hovering and the ability of vertical take-off and landing (VTOL). As the crucial part of quadrotors, the control system has been researched extensively. In this paper, we present a PID controller for path tracking based on a double-loop controller where the inner loop is for attitude control and the outer loop is for position control, and then combine fuzzy logic and the PID controller to improve the controlling effect. However, the fuzzy rules based on experience cannot guarantee excellent tracking effect and it is difficult to adjust the fuzzy rules manually. So we employ particle swarm optimization (PSO) to optimize fuzzy rules. Finally, we testify the effectiveness of the PID controller by simulation, and show that the fuzzy PID controller with PSO optimization achieves better effect compared with basic PID controller and the fuzzy PID controller without the optimization of fuzzy rules.