Modelling, control and simulation of a multirotor with tilting rotors
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.17979/ja-cea.2026.47.13853Keywords:
Flying robots, Robotics technology, Guidance, navigation and control, Embedded robotics, Modeling, Mechatronic SystemsAbstract
Conventional multirotors must modify their attitude to generate lateral forces, since they are underactuated platforms. This limitation hinders tasks where independent control of position and orientation is required, such as inspection, surface tracking, or physical interaction. This paper presents the
modelling, control, and simulation implementation of a quadrotor with tilting rotors actuated by servomotors. The tilt of each rotor allows lateral force components to be generated and decouples position control from attitude control. The dynamic model of the system is developed, and an allocation strategy is formulated by
decomposing each rotor thrust into vertical and lateral components. This formulation transforms the nonlinear motor and servomotor allocation problem
into a linear operation over pseudo-actuators, facilitating its integration within PX4-Autopilot. The platform is validated in Gazebo through trajectories
with independent position and orientation references.
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Copyright (c) 2026 Manuel Hernández-Rojo, Antonio González-Morgado, Aníbal Ollero, Guillermo Heredia
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