Robust PID controller design for an UAV flight control system

The present paper describes the structure and the design aspects of a robust PID controller for higher-order systems. A design scheme that combines deadbeat response, robust control, and model reduction techniques to enhance the performances and robustness of PID controller is presented. Unlike conventional deadbeat controllers, the tuning parameters are reduced to one cascade gain which yields a practical tuning method. The design scheme is illustrated on a pitch-axis autopilot design of an Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV). Computer simulations show that the proposed method improves time-domain response performances and exhibits stronger robustness property to conquer system uncertainties