Distributed adaptive control for multiple unmanned aerial vehicles with state constraints and input quantization

Abstract This paper investigates the distributed fault‐tolerant tracking control (FTTC) problem for multiple unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) in the presence of state constraints, input quantization and actuator failures. The unified barrier function (UBF) is first developed to convert the original constrained system model into an unconstrained one, which accomplishes the dynamic constraints of all states. Moreover, a cerebellar model neural network (CMNN) is introduced to estimate the lumped effect of unknown disturbances and actuator failures. Then, a distributed formation flight fault‐tolerant controller (FTC) is designed to guide the UAVs along the desired trajectories based on sliding mode manifold and dynamic surface control technique. Meanwhile, the unknown input chattering and hysteresis quantizer errors in the UAVs system are simultaneously handled by adding the compensation term of FTC. Furthermore, the finite time stability analysis is implemented for all tracking errors and synchronization errors of the cooperative flight control system (CFCS). Finally, a comparative simulation is conducted to demonstrate the effectiveness of the FTTC scheme proposed in this study.