Flocking Algorithm for Fixed-Wing Unmanned Aerial Vehicles

Kownacki, Cezary; Ołdziej, Daniel

doi:10.1007/978-3-319-17518-8_24

Cited by 15 publications

(17 citation statements)

References 11 publications

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“…This simplifies the structure of wireless network inside the formation. But opposite to our previous research (Kownacki and Ołdziej, 2015;2016), the structure of the formation becomes flexible (the structure is being reshaped and bent according to actual turn radius of the leader. During turns, the structure is bent basing on concentered circles with different radiuses corresponding to relative locations of vehicles in the structure.…”

Section: Introductioncontrasting

confidence: 80%

“…In the proposed approach, local low level control is based on two flocking behaviors, i.e. cohesion and repulsion (Kownacki and Ołdziej, 2015;2016). The shape of the formation structure may be any as long as the distances between vehicles are exactly defined in a local coordinates frame associated with the formation.…”

Section: Formation Flight With Algorithm Of Flexible Structurementioning

confidence: 99%

“…The second approach applies behaviors which are inspired by the flocking behaviors of birds. Also, in this case, local flight control depends on information sharing at least between the nearest neighbors of the vehicle (Kownacki and Ołdziej, 2015;2016). Otherwise, the vehicle cannot determine its own behaviors, especially repulsion or cohesion.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Flexible Structure Control Scheme of a UAVs Formation to Improve the Formation Stability During Maneuvers

Kownacki

Ambroziak

2017

Acta Mechanica Et Automatica

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Abstract:One of the issues related to formation flights, which requires to be still discussed, is the stability of formation flight in turns, where the aerodynamic conditions can be substantially different for outer vehicles due to varying bank angles. Therefore, this paper proposes a decentralized control algorithm based on a leader as the reference point for followers, i.e. other UAVs and two flocking behaviors responsible for local position control, i.e. cohesion and repulsion. But opposite to other research in this area, the structure of the formation becomes flexible (structure is being reshaped and bent according to actual turn radius of the leader. During turns the structure is bent basing on concentred circles with different radiuses corresponding to relative locations of vehicles in the structure. Simultaneously, UAVs' airspeeds must be modified according to the length of turn radius to achieve the stability of the structure. The effectiveness of the algorithm is verified by the results of simulated flights of five UAVs.

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Section: Introductioncontrasting

confidence: 80%

Section: Formation Flight With Algorithm Of Flexible Structurementioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Flexible Structure Control Scheme of a UAVs Formation to Improve the Formation Stability During Maneuvers

Kownacki

Ambroziak

2017

Acta Mechanica Et Automatica

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“…Therefore, also in this paper, we propose a method combining all three approaches: flocking behaviours, leader -follower and virtual structure. The main result of such combination is the increment of the formation stiffness, in respect to our previous work (Kownacki and Ołdziej, 2015). In the method, the leader of a UAVs formation still will be the one and only UAV that is controllable by the ground station.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 91%

“…Other approaches in the field of multi-UAV systems are usually combinations of elements of these three basic approaches (Cai et al, 2012;Kownacki and Ołdziej, 2015). Each time, the main aim is to create an algorithm which will eliminate weaknesses of each of mentioned approaches.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Multi-UAV Flight using Virtual Structure Combined with Behavioral Approach

Kownacki

2016

Acta Mechanica Et Automatica

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Implementations of multi-UAV systems can be divided mainly into two different approaches, centralised system that synchronises positions of each vehicle by a ground station and an autonomous system based on decentralised control, which offers more flexibility and independence. Decentralisation of multi-UAV control entails the need for information sharing between all vehicles, what in some cases could be problematic due to a significant amount of data to be sent over the wireless network. To improve the reliability and the throughput of information sharing inside the formation of UAVs, this paper proposes an approach that combines virtual structure with a leader and two flocking behaviours. Each UAV has assigned different virtual migration point referenced to the leader's position which is simultaneously the origin of a formation reference frame. All migration points create together a virtual rigid structure. Each vehicle uses local behaviours of cohesion and repulsion respectively, to track its own assigned point in the structure and to avoid a collision with the previous UAV in the structure. To calculate parameters of local behaviours, each UAV should know position and attitude of the leader to define the formation reference frame and also the actual position of the previous UAV in the structure. Hence, information sharing can be based on a chain of local peer-to-peer communication between two consecutive vehicles in the structure. In such solution, the information about the leader could be sequentially transmitted from one UAV to another. Numerical simulations were prepared and carried out to verify the effectiveness of the presented approach. Trajectories recorded during those simulations show collective, coherence and collision-free flights of the formation created with five UAVs.

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