Actuators | An Interview with One of the Authors—Dr. Jaime González-Sierra

Dr. Jaime González-Sierra is one of the authors of a notable paper published in Actuators (ISSN: 2076-0825):

• “Active Disturbance Rejection Control for the Trajectory Tracking of a Quadrotor”
  by Mario Ramírez-Neria, Alberto Luviano-Juárez, Jaime González-Sierra, Rodrigo Ramírez-Juárez, Joaquín Aguerrebere and Eduardo G. Hernandez-Martinez
  Actuators 2024, 13(9), 340; https://doi.org/10.3390/act13090340
  Available online: https://doi.org/10.3390/act13090340

The following is a short interview with Dr. Jaime González-Sierra:

1. Can you briefly introduce your latest research published in Actuators?
Our latest article, published in Actuators as part of the Special Edition “Dynamics and Control of Underactuated Systems”, addresses the trajectory tracking control of a quadrotor-type unmanned aerial vehicle, which is an underactuated system. We have utilized the Active Disturbance Rejection Control methodology to address the perturbations that affect this type of system. We are aware that the literature on controlling quadrotors is extensive; however, a gap remains between theoretical results and experimental outcomes. In this sense, one of the contributions of our work is to carry out experiments where a fan provides external perturbations to the quadrotor.

2. What inspired you to focus on this topic?
That is an interesting question. Nowadays, quadrotors are being used in various applications—for example, firefighting, logistics, agriculture, and environmental monitoring, among others. Therefore, for this system to perform optimally, its control must be robust, capable of handling both external and internal disturbances, even if its actuators fail. On the other hand, from a technical point of view, the underactuated nature of these systems and the intricate relationship between translational and rotational dynamics present a formidable challenge for researchers in controlling their position along
a desired trajectory.

3. What are the most exciting findings or innovations in your study? How do you see your research impacting the field of actuator technology?
From my perspective, what most caught my attention about this work is that it was possible to verify that the theoretical component was well-developed experimentally. That is, mathematically, we have begun to establish that if the system is affected by disturbances with a particular structure, then the proposed control will be able to deal with those disturbances, and despite this, the drone will still be able to follow the assigned trajectory. Furthermore, our work aims to close this gap between the theoretical and experimental components.
Regarding the other question, in our research, the actuators are the motors that rotate the drone's propellers. A misguided rotation of any of the motors can cause an accident. Therefore, before conducting experiments, numerical simulations help us to visualize that the motor rotations are within the operating range. Furthermore, the developed theory has the advantage of being able to be used in any type of actuator, since the mathematical basis is the same.

4. Why did you choose Actuators as the journal for your publication, and how has your experience been with the editorial process?
I received an email from the editorial committee of the special issue, and we were in the process of writing the article at that moment. We still didn't know which journal we would submit to. I think the invitation came at the right time. After reviewing the journal's metrics, it was an excellent option to show the international community what’s being done in Mexico.
My experience was good; we've already published with MDPI, and what we like about this publisher is the timeliness with which they manage the work. If everything goes well, the publication will be accepted within a month, which will help us a lot as researchers. We don't have to wait five, six months, or even a year to be told the article has been rejected.

5. What advice would you offer to early career researchers aiming to publish in Actuators, and would you recommend the journal to your peers?
As researchers, no idea is a bad idea. I advise you not to be afraid to submit your work and to have confidence in what you’re doing. Specifically, if you're planning to publish in Actuators, check that the journal’s scope and objectives are aligned with your research.
Yes, I recommend my colleagues submit their work to Actuators. And not just to that journal, but to any MDPI journal. With the work we’ve submitted, they've always treated us well and provided us with the necessary facilities, whether it was to submit the corrected version or even to make the payment. We’re happy with their processes.