An Autonomous Cooperative Interception Method With Angle Constraints Using a Swarm of UAVs

This article develops an autonomous cooperative interception method with angle constraints, allowing a swarm of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) to simultaneously intercept an incoming maneuvering target from predesigned encirclement angles. To this end, a decision-making framework based on the State-Event-Condition-Action (SECA) model is proposed to drive the UAV's autonomous behavior, and a series of SECA rules are defined to support the state transition. Additionally, a waypoint-following control method is derived for the UAV swarm to satisfy the encirclement angle constraints. The encirclement angles and desired waypoints are well-designed to implement interception tactics in different states. The coordinated interception time does not need to be predetermined and is replaced by defined distance variables under the virtual leader-based scheme. Simulation results demonstrate that the UAV swarm tracking the desired waypoint can satisfy the angle constraints for intercepting the incoming maneuvering target.