Journal Article

Formation Control for UAV-USVs Heterogeneous System with Collision Avoidance Performance

Li, Wei, Ning, Jun, Huang, Yuyang, Li, Zhihui

2023

Overview

This paper investigates the cooperative formation trajectory tracking problem for heterogeneous unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) and multiple unmanned surface vessel (USV) systems with collision avoidance performance. Firstly, a formation control protocol based on extended state observer (ESO) is proposed to ensure that the UAV and the USVs track the target trajectory simultaneously in the XY plane. Then, the collision avoidance control strategy of USV formation based on artificial potential field (APF) theory is designed. Specifically, the APF method is improved by reconstructing the repulsive potential field to make the collision avoidance action of USVs more in line with the requirements of International Regulations for Preventing Collisions at Sea (COLREGs). Following that, an altitude controller for the UAV is proposed to maintain the cooperative formation of the heterogeneous systems. Based on the input-to-state stability, the stability of the proposed control structure is proven, and all the signals in the closed-loop system are ultimately bounded. Finally, a simulation study is provided to show the efficacy of the proposed strategy.

• Publisher: MDPI AG
• Subject: artificial potential field method / Avoidance behaviour / Closed loops / Collision avoidance / Collisions / Control algorithms / Cooperation / Coordinate transformations / extended state observer / Feedback control / heterogeneous formation control system / International regulations / Neural networks / Observers / Potential fields / State observers / Systems stability / Tracking problem / UAV-USVs / Unmanned aerial vehicles / Velocity