Safe whole-body backstepping control for quadcopter path-following

Abstract

This paper presents a novel whole-body Backstepping control strategy for safe quadcopter path-following. The proposed approach introduces an integrated control scheme that combines a translational guidance controller with a rigid-body attitude controller. To guarantee asymptotic path convergence, the method utilizes a nominal Integrated Guidance and Control (IGC) based on Artificial Vector Fields (AVF). To ensure reactive safety and collision avoidance, the control law is modified using a smooth distance function within the High-Order Control Barrier Function (HOCBF) framework. The quadcopter dynamics are modeled using quaternion algebra to represent position, velocity, and attitude. By combining the Backstepping approach with HOCBF, the controller guarantees that the vehicle avoids obstacle sets while successfully converging to the target path when unobstructed. The proposed methodology is validated through software-in-the-loop simulations and real-world experimental results using the Crazyflie platform.