Research on Trajectory Control of Parafoil Systems Based on Active Disturbance Rejection Control

Due to its gliding ability and operability, the parafoil system is gradually replacing the conventional parachute and is getting more and more widely used. In this study, to improve the trajectory tracking performance of the parafoil system, a controller based on the active disturbance rejection control is designed. In order to verify the capability of the designed controller, especially, in extreme operating conditions, a number of simulations were carried out as well as some semi-physical tests. And with the purpose of obtaining accurate experimental data and reducing the risk of human testers, a parafoil robot is also designed which takes the place of human testers in the finished semi-physical tests and the forthcoming airdrop tests. By comparing with the traditional PD controller, the designed controller shows better tracking accuracy at the cost of higher energy consumption, which is validated by the experimental result.