Path Planning for Multi-UAV Formation

This paper presents an efficient and feasible algorithm for the path planning problem of the multiple unmanned aerial vehicles (multi-UAVs) formation in a known and realistic environment. The artificial potential field method updated by the additional control force is used for establishing two model...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of intelligent & robotic systems 2015, Vol.77 (1), p.229-246
Main Authors: Chen, YongBo, Yu, JianQiao, Su, XiaoLong, Luo, GuanChen
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Artificial Intelligence
Control
Electrical Engineering
Engineering
Formations
Mechanical Engineering
Mechatronics
Optimal control
Optimization
Path planning
Potential fields
Rigid-body dynamics
Robotics
Rotorcraft
Unmanned aerial vehicles
Citations: Items that this one cites
Items that cite this one
Online Access:Get full text
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
Description
Summary:This paper presents an efficient and feasible algorithm for the path planning problem of the multiple unmanned aerial vehicles (multi-UAVs) formation in a known and realistic environment. The artificial potential field method updated by the additional control force is used for establishing two models for the single UAV, which are the particle dynamic model and the path planning optimization model. The additional control force can be calculated by using the optimal control method. Furthermore, the multi-UAV path planning model is established by introducing “virtual velocity rigid body” and “virtual target point”. Then, the motion states of the lead plane and wingmen are obtained from the path planning model. Finally, the path following process based on the quadrotor helicopter PID controllers is introduced to verify the rationality of the path planning results. The simulation results show that the artificial potential method with the additional control force improved by the optimal control method has a good path planning ability for the single UAV and the all UAVs formation. At the same time, the path planning results are available and the UAVs can basically track the UAV formation.
ISSN:0921-0296
1573-0409
DOI:10.1007/s10846-014-0077-y