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Event-triggered Finite-time Formation Control for Multiple Unmanned Aerial Vehicles with Input Saturation

  • Control Theory and Applications
  • Published:
International Journal of Control, Automation and Systems Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Considering formation control of multi-UAV system subject to input saturation, the issue of achieving predefined configuration in a distributed finite-time event-triggered scheme is investigated. Precise feedback linearization based on differential geometry theory is utilized to linearize the nonlinear motion model of unmanned aerial vehicles. A fixed-time convergent observer is skillfully constructed to estimate the leader’s velocity information with accuracy and quickness. A novel distributed event-triggered finite-time formation control protocol incorporated by saturation functions is proposed to achieve the desired formation in finite time. An estimation of the finite-settling time is conducted by subtly constructing the Lyapunov function. Rigorous proof shows the finite-time stability of the formation control algorithm, boundedness of the control inputs and non-existence of the unexpected Zeno behavior. Numerical simulations are performed to demonstrate the effectuality of the theoretical results.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Aeronautics, Northwestern Polytechnical University, 127 West Youyi Road, Beilin District, Xi’an, China

    Pan Yang, An Zhang & Ding Zhou

  2. Key Laboratory of Data Link Technology, CETC, Xi’an, China

    An Zhang

Authors
  1. Pan Yang
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  2. An Zhang
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  3. Ding Zhou
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to An Zhang.

Additional information

Recommended by Editor Hyo-Sung Ahn.

This work was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant No.61903305), Aeronautical Science Fund (ASF, 201905053001), Key Laboratory Open Foundation of Data Link Technology (CLDL-20182113) and Research Funds for Interdisciplinary Subject, NWPU.

Pan Yang received her B.S. degree in electrical engineering and automation from Northwestern Polytechnical University of China, Xi’an, in 2017. She is currently working toward a Ph.D. degree in the Department of Integrated Technology and Control Engineering at Northwestern Polytechnical University, Xi’an. Her current interests include distributed UAV formation control and consensus of multi-agent systems.

An Zhang received his M.S. degree in systems engineering in 1986 and a Ph.D. degree in control theory and control engineering from Northwestern Polytechnical University of China, Xi’an, in 1999. He is currently a full-time professor in Northwestern Polytechnical University, Xi’an. His current research interests include multi-agent systems, UAV formation control and intelligent control.

Ding Zhou received his B.S. and M.S. degrees in control engineering from Northwestern Polytechnical University of China, Xi’an, in 2014 and 2017, respectively. He is currently pursuing his Ph.D. degree in the Department of Integrated Technology and Control Engineering at Northwestern Polytechnical University, Xi’an. His current research interests include multi-agent systems, UAV formation control and event-triggered control.

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Yang, P., Zhang, A. & Zhou, D. Event-triggered Finite-time Formation Control for Multiple Unmanned Aerial Vehicles with Input Saturation. Int. J. Control Autom. Syst. 19, 1760–1773 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12555-019-0833-7

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12555-019-0833-7

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