Formation control for UAVs using a Flux Guided approach. (1st November 2022)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Hartley, John; Shum, Hubert P.H.; Ho, Edmond S.L.; Wang, He; Ramamoorthy, Subramanian
• Is Part Of: Expert systems with applications. Volume 205(2022)
• Publication Date: 2022-11-01
• Subjects: Unmanned aerial vehicles -- Multi-agent motion planning -- Formation encirclement -- Artificial harmonic field -- Electric flux; Expert systems (Computer science) -- Periodicals; Systèmes experts (Informatique) -- Périodiques; Electronic journals; 006.33
• DOI: 10.1016/j.eswa.2022.117665
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0957-4174

Abstract

Abstract: Existing studies on formation control for unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) have not considered encircling targets where an optimum coverage of the target is required at all times. Such coverage plays a critical role in many real-world applications such as tracking hostile UAVs. This paper proposes a new path planning approach called the Flux Guided (FG) method, which generates collision-free trajectories for multiple UAVs while maximising the coverage of target(s). Our method enables UAVs to track directly toward a target whilst maintaining maximum coverage. Furthermore, multiple scattered targets can be tracked by scaling the formation during flight. FG is highly scalable since it only requires communication between sub-set of UAVs on the open boundary of the formation's surface. Experimental results further validate that FG generates UAV trajectories 1 . 5 × shorter than previous work and that trajectory planning for 9 leader/follower UAVs to surround a target in two different scenarios only requires 0.52 s and 0.88 s, respectively. The resulting trajectories are suitable for robotic controls after time-optimal parameterisation; we demonstrate this using a 3d dynamic particle system that tracks the desired trajectories using a PID controller. Highlights: Formation control of unmanned aerial vehicles to track and surround targets. A potential field based controller inspired by electric flux. Constrained minimisation to maintain agent distances while following the field. Planned paths compatible with proportional–integral–derivative controllers. Applications in hostile UAV tracking and neutralisation, search and rescue.