Development of C-Means Clustering Based Adaptive Fuzzy Controller for a Flapping Wing Micro Air Vehicle

Advanced and accurate modelling of a Flapping Wing Micro Air Vehicle (FW MAV) and its control is one of the recent research topics related to the field of autonomous MAVs. Some desiring features of the FW MAV are quick flight, vertical take-off and landing, hovering, and fast turn, and enhanced manoeuvrability contrasted with similar-sized fixed and rotary wing MAVs. Inspired by the FW MAV’s advanced features, a four-wing Nature-inspired (NI) FW MAV is modelled and controlled in this work. The Fuzzy C-Means (FCM) clustering algorithm is utilized to construct the data-driven NIFW MAV model. Being model free, it does not depend on the system dynamics and can incorporate various uncertainties like sensor error, wind gust etc. Furthermore, a Takagi-Sugeno (T-S) fuzzy structure based adaptive fuzzy controller is proposed. The proposed adaptive controller can tune its antecedent and consequent parameters using FCM clustering technique. This controller is employed to control the altitude of the NIFW MAV, and compared with a standalone Proportional Integral Derivative (PID) controller, and a Sliding Mode Control (SMC) theory based advanced controller. Parameter adaptation of the proposed controller helps to outperform it static PID counterpart. Performance of our controller is also comparable with its advanced and complex counterpart namely SMC-Fuzzy controller.