  In this work, we present a novel actuation strategy for a suspended aerial
platform. By utilizing an underactuation approach, we demonstrate the
successful oscillation damping of the proposed platform, modeled as a spherical
double pendulum. A state estimator is designed in order to obtain the
deflection angles of the platform, which uses only onboard IMU measurements.
The state estimator is an extended Kalman filter (EKF) with intermittent
measurements obtained at different frequencies. An optimal state feedback
controller and a PD+ controller are designed in order to dampen the
oscillations of the platform in the joint space and task space respectively.
The proposed underactuated platform is found to be more energy-efficient than
an omnidirectional platform and requires fewer actuators. The effectiveness of
our proposed system is validated using both simulations and experimental
studies.
