Geometric Model Reference Adaptive Control Design for a Fully Actuated Active-Deformation Integrated Aerial Platform

Integrated aerial platforms (IAPs), composed of multiple unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), can perform tasks such as aerial grasping and cooperative manipulation. In this paper, we introduce and design an IAP with joint-driven active deformation capability. During deformation and tasks such as aerial grasping, configuration-dependent variations in inertia and the center of mass (CoM) challenge control stability. To address this issue, a geometric model reference adaptive control (MRAC) scheme is developed on (Formula presented.) to ensure robust and decoupled control under these time-varying conditions. The almost global stability of the closed-loop system is rigorously established through Lyapunov-based analysis and verified in simulations. The advantages of the proposed controller are further validated through real-world deformation experiments on a self-developed prototype, which successfully performs aerial grasping and assembly tasks.