Robust Uncooperative Ground Target Surveillance using Vision-Based Sliding Mode Control of Quadrotor UAV.

Search and tracking of non-cooperative mobile targets, maneuvering in an area monitored by a quadrotor UAV is investigated. In order to reach this aim, We propose a robust approach based on vision and sliding mode controller. The proposed strategy is an Image-Based Visual Servoing (IBVS) approach using targets visual data projected in a virtual camera. For an effective visual target searching, a circular search trajectory is followed, with a high altitude using the Camera Coverage Area (CCA). A Sliding Mode Controller (SMC) based on Reaching Law with a Power Rate (RLPR) is applied to ensure the QUAV control in the presence of external disturbances and measurement uncertainties. Simulation results are presented to assess the proposed strategy considering different scenarios.