A distributed flocking control strategy for UAV groups

Abstract

To ensure the information security of UAV groups, maximize the detection range of the UAV group and minimize the communication range, this paper improves Olfati–Saber’s flocking algorithm using virtual leader and integrates the multiple UAVs with real environment. The improved swarm control algorithm can help to make all agents accurately track the speed of virtual leaders. Then, we introduce the conception of virtual communication circle to control the communication power of each UAV, and the moving function of the target position is improved to meet the limited conditions of given communication distance, to ensure the non-collision and stable communication of the UAV during the moving process. All UAVs in the group system will keep converging, avoiding collision and the speed is the same as that of the virtual pilot. Therefore, multiple UAVs can track the virtual pilot for cluster flight and a distributed cooperative control strategy can be acquired. The simulation results show that the strategy proposed in this paper makes a better communication performance among UAVs in real time, and the UAV groups achieve the information more timely, which is proved to be an effective way to ensure the security communication among multiple UAVs.