Barnabás Kiss

59491813500

Publications - 6

Investigation of System Stability and the Design of a Controller based on the Transfer Function of a Quadcopter’s BLDC Motor

Miklós Kuczmann Áron Ballagi Barnabás Kiss

Publication Name: Chemical Engineering Transactions

Publication Date: 2024-01-01

Volume: 114

Issue: Unknown

Page Range: 751-756

Description:

The objective of this study is the control technology of quadcopters. The aim of this article is to propose further simulation assessment opportunities and other control implementations for investigating the transfer function of a quadrotor BLDC (Brushless Direct Current Electric Motor) motor obtained from experimental results in a previously published paper by separate authors. In this article, an LQ (linear-quadratic) controller is implemented based on the transmission function, during which the response of the controller to a unit step signal is examined. It is proved that LQ control can significantly enhance the autonomy of UAVs (Unmanned Aerial Vehicles) compared to PID (Proportional-Integral-Derivative Controller) control, as a faster and more accurate step response is achieved during system analysis. Additionally, how the LQ controller and the PID controller respond to a randomly generated white noise is examined. The results are compared with those implemented with a PID controller presented in a separate article.

Open Access: Yes

DOI: 10.3303/CET24114126

Overview Study of the Applications of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles in the Transportation Sector †

Miklós Kuczmann Áron Ballagi Barnabás Kiss

Publication Name: Engineering Proceedings

Publication Date: 2024-01-01

Volume: 79

Issue: 1

Page Range: Unknown

Description:

This study examines the use of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) in transportation, focusing on traffic monitoring and accident prevention. UAVs provide a cost-effective means for traffic surveillance, route planning, and accident analysis, enhancing data accuracy and timeliness. The paper discusses autonomous and human-intervention-supported drone systems for traffic surveillance, addressing technological and operational challenges and the balance needed for practical implementation. It also presents recent advancements, including a forerunner drone model, and references research on UAVs for maritime navigation safety, underscoring the need for their safe and efficient integration into transportation systems.

Open Access: Yes

DOI: 10.3390/engproc2024079011

Investigation of Energy-Efficient UAV Control: Analysis of PID and MPC Performance †

Miklós Kuczmann Áron Ballagi Barnabás Kiss

Publication Name: Engineering Proceedings

Publication Date: 2025-01-01

Volume: 113

Issue: 1

Page Range: Unknown

Description:

Unmanned Aerial Vehicles are being applied in an increasing number of fields; however, their autonomous operation is associated with significant regulatory challenges. In this study, the performance of a PID and a Model Predictive Controller is compared based on the transfer function of the BLDC motor of a quadcopter using MATLAB simulations in the presence of white noise. The simulation results are used as reference values for measurements conducted on a cost-effective, custom-developed prototype drone. The prototype has been designed for short-duration hovering, allowing for an initial evaluation, but a more thorough analysis requires prolonged hovering tests to be carried out in an industrial environment. Based on the results, a recommendation is formulated for improving the PID controller to achieve performance closer to that of the MPC. The research is aimed at enhancing the energy efficiency of UAV systems and optimizing battery capacity, enabling longer autonomous flight time and more reliable control.

Open Access: Yes

DOI: 10.3390/engproc2025113040

Experimental Investigation of Conventional and Advanced Control Strategies for Mini Drone Altitude Regulation with Energy-Aware Performance Analysis

Miklós Kuczmann Áron Ballagi Barnabás Kiss

Publication Name: Machines

Publication Date: 2026-01-01

Volume: 14

Issue: 1

Page Range: Unknown

Description:

The energy efficiency and hover stability of unmanned aerial vehicles are critical factors, since improper battery utilization and unstable control are major sources of operational failures and accidents. The proportional–integral–derivative (PID) controller, which is applied in approximately 97% of multirotor unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) systems, is widely used due to its simplicity; however, it is sensitive to external disturbances and often fails to ensure optimal energy utilization, resulting in reduced flight time. Therefore, the experimental investigation of advanced control methods in a real physical environment is well justified. The objective of the present research is the comparative evaluation of seven control strategies—PID, linear quadratic controller with integral action (LQI), model predictive control (MPC), sliding mode control (SMC), backstepping control, fractional-order PID (FOPID), and H∞ control—using a single-degree-of-freedom drone test platform in a MATLAB R2023b-Arduino hardware-in-the-loop (HIL) environment. Although the theoretical advantages and model-based results of the aforementioned control methods are well documented, the number of real-time comparative HIL experiments conducted under identical physical conditions remains limited. Consequently, only a small amount of unified and directly comparable experimental data is available regarding the performance of different controllers. The measurements were performed at a reference height of 120 mm under disturbance-free conditions and under wind loading with a velocity of 10 km/h applied at an angle of 45°. The controller performance was evaluated based on hover accuracy, settling time, overshoot, and real-time measured power consumption. The results indicate that modern control strategies provide significantly improved energy efficiency and faster stabilization compared to the PID controller in both disturbance-free and wind-loaded test scenarios. The investigations confirm that several advanced controllers can be applied more effectively than the PID controller to enhance hover stability and reduce energy consumption.

Open Access: Yes

DOI: 10.3390/machines14010098

Robust Control of a Quadcopter BLDC Motor: Comparative Analysis of PID and H∞ Controllers

Miklós Kuczmann Áron Ballagi Barnabás Kiss

Publication Name: International Journal of Automotive Science and Technology

Publication Date: 2025-12-17

Volume: 9

Issue: 1st Future of Vehicles Conf.

Page Range: 1-6

Description:

The aim of the present study was to investigate a control strategy designed for the BLDC (Brushless Direct Current) motor of a quadcopter-type drone, with particular emphasis on the precise and stable maintenance of altitude in a disturbed environment. Two different control methods were implemented and compared during the research: the classical PID (Proportional-Integral-Derivative) controller and the H∞ (H-infinity) control technique. The investigations were carried out along two approaches. On the one hand, a transfer function—reproduced from a previous study—was used as a possible reference, and tested in the MATLAB simulation environment. On the other hand, a custom-developed physical prototype with one degree of freedom was created, capable of vertical motion along a single axis, allowing for the examination of altitude control under real-world conditions. The purpose of the system was to maintain a predetermined hovering altitude even in the presence of external disturbances, such as artificially generated wind. During the design of the control algorithms, a state-space-based modeling approach was applied, and appropriate weighting functions were defined, with special attention given to robustness against disturbances, control accuracy, and energy-efficient operation. The simulation results showed that the H∞ controller reduced average power demand by 19.43% compared to PID control, while practical measurements demonstrated a 38% decrease in average power consumption. In addition, overshoot was reduced by 96% and oscillation amplitude by 86% under wind disturbance. The objective of the research was to examine the practical applicability of an advanced control method that can provide greater stability, reliability, and energy efficiency under varying environmental conditions compared to traditional solutions.

Open Access: Yes

DOI: 10.30939/ijastech..1754212

Human Perceptions of Reliability of Autonomous Drone Systems Under Dynamic Disturbances

Miklós Kuczmann Áron Ballagi Barnabás Kiss

Publication Name: Applied Sciences Switzerland

Publication Date: 2026-05-01

Volume: 16

Issue: 9

Page Range: Unknown

Description:

This study analyzes how dynamic disturbances influence the decisions made during the human supervision of autonomous unmanned aerial vehicles. While previous research has primarily focused on control algorithms and system stability, the effect of disturbances originating from system dynamics on operator intervention behavior has been less extensively investigated. To examine this problem, a hardware-in-the-loop (HIL) experimental framework was developed, which is based on a previously validated unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) test platform and was adapted in this study to enable the investigation of human supervisory decision-making. Participants observed the behavior of an autonomously operating system under controlled disturbances and were provided with the possibility to intervene by activating an emergency landing mechanism. The results indicate that the disturbance intensity had a significant effect on intervention decisions, while the reaction times did not show notable differences. This finding suggests that supervisory behavior is primarily determined by the evaluation of the system state rather than by timing characteristics. It also identifies that subjective risk perception plays a decisive role in the formation of intervention decisions, indicating the presence of an implicit decision threshold for participant behavior. The research findings offer a novel approach to the interpretation of human–UAV interaction by emphasizing the role of system dynamics in shaping user decisions. The presented method may provide a foundation for the development of predictive and adaptive supervisory systems that take into account the characteristics of human decision-making, thereby contributing to the design of safer and more efficient autonomous systems.

Open Access: Yes

DOI: 10.3390/app16094353