Receding horizon control for multi-UAVs close formation control based on differential evolution

Abstract

Close formation flight is one of the most complicated problems on multi-uninhabited aerial vehicles (UAVs) coordinated control. Based on the nonlinear model of multi-UAVs close formation, a novel type of control strategy of using hybrid receding horizon control (RHC) and differential evolution algorithm is proposed. The issue of multi-UAVs close formation is transformed into several on-line optimization problems at a series of receding horizons, while the differential evolution algorithm is adopted to optimize control sequences at each receding horizon. Then, based on the Markov chain model, the convergence of differential evolution is proved. The working process of RHC controller is presented in detail, and the stability of close formation controller is also analyzed. Finally, three simulation experiments are performed, and the simulation results show the feasibility and validity of our proposed control algorithm.