Unit vector control of an unbalanced three‐axis gimbal for application to inertially stabilized platforms

Abstract

Abstract Camera stabilization systems are employed in several types of mobile robots. The objective is to maintain the attitude of the camera constant despite the movements of the host vehicle. This paper deals with the problem of stabilizing a platform using a three‐degree‐of‐freedom gimbal as mechanical actuator. Mechanical unbalances are considered and a multivariable version of the unit vector control (UVC) is employed. The algorithm employs a newly proposed differentiator based on higher order sliding modes that is global and exact. This differentiator can also be used for monitoring and estimation purposes in mechatronic systems. Simulation results are presented using data acquired from an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) in autonomous flight.