Optimal formation control with limited communication for multi-unmanned aerial vehicle in an obstacle-laden environment

This paper investigates the formation control problem of multiple unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) with limited communication in a known and realistic obstacle-laden environment. In order to deal with the limited communication constraints, the leader–follower strategy and the virtual leader strategy...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Proceedings of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers. Part G, Journal of aerospace engineering Journal of aerospace engineering, 2017-05, Vol.231 (6), p.979-997
Main Authors: Ai, Xiao Lin, Yu, Jian Qiao, Chen, Yong Bo, Chen, Fang Zheng, Shen, Yuan Chuan
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Barriers
Collision avoidance
Collision avoidance systems
Communication
Control stability
Control theory
Cost function
Formation flying
Graph theory
Optimal control
Unmanned aerial vehicles
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Summary:This paper investigates the formation control problem of multiple unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) with limited communication in a known and realistic obstacle-laden environment. In order to deal with the limited communication constraints, the leader–follower strategy and the virtual leader strategy are integrated into an optimal control framework to formulate this formation control problem. This combination formation framework can be achieved by integrating a redefined directed graph and a proposed information vector. In more practical applications, an obstacle/collision avoidance strategy is achieved by constructing a non-quadratic cost function innovatively using a virtual flow field approach. The proposed optimal control laws, which derive from the local information rather than the global information, are proved to guarantee the stability of the close-loop system by an inverse optimal control approach. The simulation results demonstrate the effectiveness of the formation flight of multiple UAVs with limited communication in an obstacle-laden environment.
ISSN:0954-4100
2041-3025
DOI:10.1177/0954410016646599