Finite-time robust formation control of multiple aerial robotic vehicles with uncertainties and time-varying complex perturbations

Abstract

Formation control of aerial robotic vehicles (ARVs) has a wide range of applications in the battlefield reconnaissance, medical rescue and load transportation, etc. System parameter variations and complex disturbances are inevitable in the formation control of ARVs, and the effects of them on the formation stability control of ARVs are unnegligible. This paper addresses the robust formation control problem of finite-time leader–follower for multiple ARVs suffering from parameter uncertainties and time-varying perturbations. To ensure the states (e.g. position and velocity) of all followers to converge to leader in finite time, a novel finite-time high-order sliding mode consensus control (HOSMCC) scheme is designed. To better cope with the parameter uncertainties and time-varying disturbances, improve formation control accuracy and achieve the robust formation control of finite-time leader–follower in multiple ARV systems, a new finite time high-order sliding mode formation control (HOSMFC) scheme on the basis of finite-time HOSMCC is proposed. The finite-time stability of multi-ARV formation control system is guaranteed, and the desired formation pattern of multi-ARV systems is achieved using Lyapunov stability theorem. Performance comparisons with proportional differential formation controller (PDFC) and sliding mode formation controller (SMFC) are studied on a four-ARV formation control system. The results validate the designed formation control scheme.