Path-Following Formation of Fixed-Wing UAVs under Communication Delay: A Vector Field Approach

Abstract

In many applications, such as atmospheric observation or disaster monitoring, cooperative control of a fleet of UAVs is crucial because it is effective in repeated tasks. In this work, we provide a workable and useful cooperative guiding algorithm for several fixed-wing UAVs to construct a path-following formation with communication delays. The two primary components of our concept are path-following (lateral guidance) and path formation (longitudinal guidance). The former is in charge of ensuring that, in the presence of wind disturbance, the lateral distance between the UAV and its targeted path converges using a well-known vector field technique. In the event of a communication delay, the latter ensures that several fixed-wing UAVs will create a predetermined formation shape. Furthermore, we provide a maximum delay bound that is dependent on the topology and a controller’s gain. Lastly, in order to confirm the viability and advantages of our suggested approach, we construct an effective platform for a hardware-in-the-loop (HIL) test.