Kinematic Formation Control Using Q-structures

Abstract

Beyond single-helicopter control, this book also touches on formation control of multiple helicopters. In Chapter 7, the concept of the Q-structure is introduced as a novel and flexible methodology to define and support a large variety of formations. The Q-structure allows automatic scaling of formations according to changes in the overall size of the helicopter team. The chapter begins by exploring the use of the Q-structure for formation control where perfect communication is present between all members of the team. The second part of the chapter focuses on how the Q-structure can be adapted and used for teams where communication is imperfect. In this chapter, we examine the properties of Q-structures in relation to other formation representation schemes, and look at the ways Q-structures can be used with artificial potential trenches to improve the scalability of the formations and support a large number of different formations. In particular, the Q-structure does not require explicit representation of every single node of the formation and is able to ensure the formation maintenance of a large number of helicopters. The formation is also robust against possible communication breakdown and/or limited wireless communication ranges.