A Discrete-Time Generalized Proportional Integral Controller for a Drone Quadrotor

This article addresses the challenges of regulation and trajectory tracking in a nonlinear, multivariable drone quadrotor system using a discrete-time Generalized Proportional Integral (GPI) controller, which is the discrete-time version of its continuous-time counterpart. The discrete-time formulation offers several advantages, including simplified trajectory planning by eliminating time derivatives, reduced computational demands, and lower complexity in nominal feed-forward input functions. The proposed GPI controller ensures asymptotic exponential stability for both attitude and position, enabling effective trajectory tracking. Its effectiveness has been validated through numerical simulations, which demonstrate excellent stabilization and tracking performance even in the presence of atmospheric disturbances and measurement noise.