UAV Formation Control via the Virtual Structure Approach

In this paper, a new formation flying approach based on virtual structure is presented. In this architecture, formation control strategies are appropriate when a large number of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) are involved. Control laws for formation control are designed based on both classical theory and inverse dynamics, and then a comparison study is performed. The effectiveness of the proposed control strategies is demonstrated through nonlinear 6-degrees of freedom (DOF) simulation. (C) 2014 American Society of Civil Engineers.