A New Distributed Formation Modeling and Control Method for Multiple Quadrotors with Switching Inter-communication Topologies

A new distributed formation modeling and control method for a group of unmanned aerial vehicles with directed and switching inter-communication topologies is presented in this paper. The formation dynamics model is obtained based on the well-known mass-spring system model by considering each agent as a mass-point and the position relations between the agents as springs which can induce formations forces. In addition, we define a new term so-called formation equilibrium state to describe the formation’s state in a sense of formation force. From analyzing the formation equilibrium states, we derive a distributed formation control law to ensure the formation pattern is achieved and the formation shape is maintained. Several numerical simulations were carried out to demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed algorithm.