Distributed Adaptive Formation Reconfiguration Control for Multiple AUVs Based on Affine Transformation in Three-Dimensional Ocean Environments

This article addresses the distributed formation reconfiguration control problem for a fleet of nonlinear multiple autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs) in three-dimensional (3-D) ocean environments. A novel solution to the nonplanar multi-AUV formation reconfiguration control issue is presented by using the graph rigidity and affine transformation (GR-AT) method. Firstly, all AUVs cooperatively achieve a predefined initial cube formation by using the strategy of regulating the inter-AUV distances in a rigid graph. Then the proposed GR-AT method is used to reconstruct the formation shape in multi-obstacle underwater environments. A rigorous Lyapunov stability analysis shows that these distances converge to desired values. The efficiency of the formation reconfiguration control algorithm is confirmed by a series of simulation results. Finally, the corresponding 3-D realistic experiment based on bionic robot fish is carried out to validate the feasibility of the proposed formation control.