Distributed sliding mode control for leader‐follower formation flight of fixed‐wing unmanned aerial vehicles subject to velocity constraints

• Published in: International journal of robust and nonlinear control Vol. 31; no. 6; pp. 2110 - 2125
• Main Authors: Wang, Xiangke, Yu, Yangguang, Li, Zhongkui
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Bognor Regis Wiley Subscription Services, Inc 01.04.2021
• Subjects: Angular velocity; Control theory; distributed control; fixed‐wing UAV; formation control; Formation flying; Kinematics; Mathematical models; Military strategy; Sliding mode control; Unmanned aerial vehicles; Velocity; velocity constraints
• ISSN: 1049-8923; 1099-1239
• DOI: 10.1002/rnc.5030

Summary This paper considers the leader‐follower formation flight of fixed‐wing unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) subject to velocity constraints. A novel distributed sliding mode control law is proposed for each UAV, whose kinematics is described by a unicycle model with a saturated angular velocity and a bounded linear velocity within an interval. The designed control law of each follower UAV only uses its own information and the information of its leader UAV. Driven by the designed control law, the desired formation is achieved with rigorous proof, while the follower UAVs' constraints of both the linear and angular velocities are satisfied. Moreover, the follower's speed adjustment range is relaxed and not required to be strictly larger than their leaders'. Finally, numerical simulations are presented to verify the results.