Title: Optimised fractional order PID controller for a 3 DOF Hover quadrotor: experimental validation and robustness analysis

Authors: Djamel Dhahbane; Aimen Abdelhak Messaoui; Abdellali Kourtel; Ayoub Ferah

Addresses: Ecole Supérieure Ali Chabati, Réghaia, 16036, Alger, Algérie ' Ecole Militaire Polytechnique, Bordj El Bahri, 16046, Alger, Algérie ' Ecole Supérieure Ali Chabati, Réghaia, 16036, Alger, Algérie ' Ecole Supérieure Ali Chabati, Réghaia, 16036, Alger, Algérie

Abstract: This paper aims to implement a model-free linear control law based on fractional proportional integral derivative (FPID) regulator. The control approach is applied to a quadrotor system to stabilise its attitude through the three rotation axes (roll, pitch, and yaw), where the control parameters are optimised via the particle swarm optimisation (PSO) algorithm. The proposed controller is tested in simulation, experimentally validated on the 3DOF Hover platform, and compared with two other methods: the linear quadratic regulator (LQR), the classical proportional integral derivative (PID) controller and the Backstepping method. Furthermore, robustness analysis is carried out to evaluate the performances of the investigated controller against internal and external disturbances. The obtained results have demonstrated the efficiency and usefulness of the investigated controller in terms of precision (less than 0.2 degrees in attitude error) and robustness in the presence of perturbed environments.

Keywords: quadrotor; 3DOF Hover system; attitude control; LQR; linear quadratic regulator; backstepping; fractional PID; PSO algorithm; robustness analysis.

DOI: 10.1504/IJAAC.2026.150559

International Journal of Automation and Control, 2026 Vol.20 No.1, pp.1 - 20

Received: 18 May 2024
Accepted: 05 Oct 2024
Published online: 17 Dec 2025 *

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