UAV Autonomous Formation Flight Experiment with Virtual Leader Control Structure

Abstract:

The problem of autonomous formation flight control of UAVs (Unmanned Aerial Vehicles) is presented in the paper. A decentralized control method of the autonomous formation flight realization is described. A practical approach to the UAV formation flight control was shown. The applied method bases on the information exchange between flying objects. The shared data concern the position and velocity of the aircraft. Constructed UAV airframe was presented as well as used autopilot, developed formation flight control unit, wireless communication links and used data packet structure. The main aim of this work was the in-flight tests. The test of formation flight with Virtual Leader (VL) was examined. The autopilot reactions to the incoming data packets with desired altitude, airspeed and heading from formation flight controller were checked. During the flights the longitudinal and lateral positions of the UAV, orientation angles (pitch, roll, yaw), angular velocities (pitch rate, roll rate, yaw rate) and many other flight parameters were logged. The research and flight tests checked and verified the developed method of formation flight control.

• Periodical: Solid State Phenomena (Volume 198)
• Pages: 254-259
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.4028/www.scientific.net/SSP.198.254
• Online since: March 2013
• Authors: Zdzisław Gosiewski, Leszek Ambroziak
• Keywords: Aircraft Electronics, Autopilot, Experimental Tests, Field Trials, Formation Flight Control, Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV), Virtual Leader

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