Multiple UAV Guidance Using the Multi-layer Control Scheme and Delaunay Triangulation

Abstract

This work presents a strategy to guide a formation of multiple unmanned aerial vehicles (MUAV) to accomplish positioning and trajectory-tracking tasks. Delaunay triangulation is here used to split the platoon of UAVs in N-triangles, which are individually guided by the multi-layer control scheme (MLCS). The advantage of this proposal is to reduce the possibility of intra-formation collision, since there is no intersection between the line segments composing the sides of the N-triangles. The advantage of the MLCS is to maintain the order of the Jacobian matrix constant, regardless of the number of robots in the formation, which reduces the complexity of the control problem. Before sending the control signals to each robot, they are weighted according to the number of triangles to which a specific robot belongs. Simulation results demonstrate the ability to accomplish the aforementioned tasks, thus validating the proposal.