Comparative Study of PID Design Techniques for UAV 1-DOF Control via Genetic Algorithms

This paper evaluates advanced PID control strategies applied to the 1-DOF Quanser Aero 2 system, a setup relevant to UAV pitch control during takeoff and landing. The classical PID serves as a benchmark against model-based approaches, including 2DOF PID, fractional-order PID, and nonlinear PID, as well as the model-free iPI controller. All controller parameters were optimized using genetic algorithms to ensure a fair comparison. Performance was assessed using standard metrics, including IAE, ISCO, overshoot, and settling time, under various reference and disturbance scenarios. Results highlight the strengths and trade-offs of each method, with a particular focus on their applicability in aerospace control tasks.