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Adaptive Differential Evolution-Based Distributed Model Predictive Control for Multi-UAV Formation Flight

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Abstract

The complicated formation flight for multi-unmanned aerial vehicles is a challenge, especially when multi-mission requirements are taken into account. This paper studies the adaptive differential evolution-based distributed model predictive control approach to deal with the multi-unmanned aerial vehicle flight achieving obstacle/collision avoidance and formation keeping simultaneously in the complex environment. Specifically, the distributed model predictive controller is designed to achieve stable flight for each unmanned aerial vehicle as well as taking the state and input saturation into account, where the local optimization problem is solved by the adaptive differential evolution algorithm. Besides, the adaptive adjustment to the prediction horizon for the model predictive controller is introduced, while the asymptotic convergence of the rolling optimization is analyzed as well. Finally, simulation examples are provided to illustrate the validity of the proposed control structure.

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Acknowledgements

The authors gratefully acknowledge the support of Aeronautical Science Foundation of China under Grant no. 20155896025.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Equipment Management and Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Engineering College, Air Force Engineering University, Xiwang Street, Baqiao Area, Xi’an, 710051, China

    Boyang Zhang, Xiuxia Sun, Shuguang Liu & Xiongfeng Deng

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  1. Boyang Zhang
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  2. Xiuxia Sun
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  3. Shuguang Liu
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  4. Xiongfeng Deng
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Correspondence to Boyang Zhang.

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Zhang, B., Sun, X., Liu, S. et al. Adaptive Differential Evolution-Based Distributed Model Predictive Control for Multi-UAV Formation Flight. Int. J. Aeronaut. Space Sci. 21, 538–548 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s42405-019-00228-8

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s42405-019-00228-8

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