Distributed robust adaptive formation control of fixed-wing UAVs with unknown uncertainties and disturbances

This paper investigates the formation control of multiple fixed-wing unmanned aircraft vehicles (UAVs) based on virtual leader structure, subjecting to unknown uncertainties and disturbances. Most studies on fixed-wing UAVs formation are model-dependent and require global info in communication networks. And few studies consider both parametric uncertainties and bounded disturbances. A fully distributed model reference robust adaptive controller (DMRRAC) is proposed in this study, aiming to swiftly construct the formation in the complex situation, and dramatically reduce reliance on UAV models and global info. Meanwhile, an adaptive projection formation operator and a novel high-frequency robust term of the controller can guarantee that the formation system is uniformly asymptotically stable under the influences of uncertainties and disturbances, which can also enhance the transient performance and robustness. Validation and comparative simulations are implemented to demonstrate the proposed DMRRAC method. A platform based on ROS is used to verify the actual operability of the controller.