Formation Obstacle Avoidance: A Fluid-Based Solution

Abstract

To enhance the mission success rate, the multi-agent system (MAS) often adopts a formation form to shuttle over complex terrain. Compared with obstacle avoidance in other multi-agent coordinated missions, multi-agent formation (MAF) obstacle avoidance is more challenging because agents must both avoid obstacles and subsequently return to their intended positions in the original formation at a uniform speed. Aiming at the three-dimensional complex obstacle environment, the fluid methodology is extended to the application of the formation issue for the first time. In this paper, an MAF obstacle avoidance framework built upon model-based interfered fluid dynamical system (MIFDS), which is the most representative algorithm in fluid methodology, is proposed. The proposed MIFDS is modified to be more in accordance with the kinematic performance of agents than traditional IFDS by introducing the kinematic model and constraints. Moreover, on the basis of MIFDS and the virtual leader formation structure, a novel original fluid speed adjustment strategy in MIFDS, which is the core to solve the formation issue, is designed to balance obstacle avoidance and formation reconfiguration. Finally, receding horizon control is introduced to further guarantee the performance of obstacle avoidance and motion safety. Simulations are used to demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed method.