UAVs Formation Control Based on Artificial Potential Functions with the Orientation Considered

In this paper, we present an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) formation control method based on artificial potential functions characterized by attractive and repulsive properties. Because artificial potential functions can only affect the distance between agents, the orientation of the formation is not considered. We improve the method by adding an additional control term to the agents to guarantee the orientation of the formation. A nonlinear fixed-wing UAV model is established and we apply the method to the model to verify its feasibility. Simulation results illustrate that the desired formation can be achieved.