Nonlinear Trajectory Tracking using Vectorial Backstepping Approach

This paper discussed a nonlinear trajectory tracking problem for stratospheric airship platform and a novel approach of the nonlinear control scheme is applied. Target airship model is the 200m stratospheric airship platform capable of flying upto 20 km altitude. Full 6-DOF nonlinear dynamics of unmanned airship are defined according to the target airship's configuration including the moving wind field. Based on this airship model, a backstepping design formulation for the trajectory tracking control is described. The tracking control strategy of vectorial backstepping is applied to derive the tracking control law and global asymptotically stability is proved by Lyapunov stability analysis. Finally, numerical simulations have been carried out to assess the performance of the proposed tracking controller.