Quadrotor unmanned aerial vehicles (QUAVs) are inherently underactuated, which makes it challenging to accomplish precision control and trajectory tracking, particularly in flight circumstances that are intricate. This is especially true in situations where flights are complicated. For the goal of this investigation, a sophisticated Fractional-Order PID (FOPID) controller is presented. This controller will be superior in terms of performance to both conventional PID controllers and Integral State Feedback Algorithm (ISFA) controllers. The adoption of the FOPID design results in improvement in tracking accuracy, decreases in overshoot and steady-state error, and better resistance to disturbances and system uncertainties. All of these benefits are obtained through the implementation of the design. The controller demonstrates superior transient and steady-state performance, as demonstrated by simulations carried out in MATLAB/Simulink and validations carried out through experiments utilising two different scenarios, such as helical trajectory tracking and circular swarm formation, and two different hardwares, such as QDrones by Quansar and CoDrones by Robolink. The results proved that the FOPID technique demonstrates a high degree of adaptability and scalability, which makes it an ideal choice for swarm-based missions as well as real-world applications such as environmental monitoring. This is accomplished through its integration with a helical trajectory tracking and circular swarm formation framework that is implemented across two different hardwares. FOPID is a strategy that is both effective and feasible for the regulation of QUAVs of the future generation, as demonstrated by the outcomes of this study.

The Sun-Pointing attitude mode is essential for Low Earth Orbit (LEO) CubeSats, particularly those relying on solar panels for energy generation. This study presents the development of an Attitude Determination and Control System (ADCS) for the Sun-Pointing mode of a 1U nanosatellite, incorporating environment modeling, controller design, and the implementation of a closed-loop output feedback control system within a custom 3D simulation environment. A satellite health monitoring simulator has been created, enabling users to configure various sensor setups, integrate additional sensors seamlessly, and visualize reference, measured, estimated, and controlled states along with pointing error metrics, enhancing performance evaluation and optimization. The ADCS is further validated using STK software, demonstrating precise Sun tracking during orbital operations. Covering the complete process from satellite deployment to mission execution, this study provides a comprehensive framework for understanding and designing satellite attitude control systems, serving as a valuable resource for education, research, and advancing future satellite operational modes by integrating theoretical concepts with practical simulations.

An energy-efficient braking system that achieves high braking efficacy by utilising self-reinforcement is the Electronic Wedge Brake (EWB). Conversely, its vulnerability to fluctuations in the pad friction coefficient presents obstacles to the system’s stability and robustness. The purpose of this paper is to investigate the performance of Fuzzy Sliding mode control (FSMC) technqiue to estimate and compensate the variations in the pad friction coefficent and handle external disturbances. In addition, the system incorporates an Unscented Kalman Filter (UKF) to enhance the precision of the friction coefficient estimation, which allows for precise adaptive control adjustments. The control strategy proposed has been validated through extensive MATLAB/Simulink simulations, which have shown improved braking precision, enhanced robustness against friction coefficient variations, and superior performance in dynamic braking scenarios. The findings verify that the FSMC-based approach with UKF adaptation effectively mitigates the detrimental effects of friction variations, thereby enhancing the energy efficiency and stability of EWB systems.