Formation control of multiple underwater robots based on ADMM distributed model predictive control

Abstract

In this paper, we propose a distributed model predictive control approach based on the alternating direction multiplier method (ADMM) to solve the formation control problem of multiple autonomous underwater vehicles (AUV). First, a kinematic model with six degrees of freedom is established for underwater vehicles. This is a linear error model which can accelerate the calculation speed of the controller while still ensuring accuracy. This model also incorporates the design of a local distributed controller for each underwater robot. The formation factor is transformed into the state coupling constraint between robots, and ADMM is used for iterative calculations, thus solving the problem of robot formation control. Considering external interference, a feedforward compensation control link is added to ensure stable tracking of the reference trajectory by multiple robots under certain disturbances. Finally, results from simulations verify the effectiveness of the proposed algorithm.