Formation Control for UAVs based on the Virtual Structure Idea and Nonlinear Guidance Logic

To realize a compact and robust formation flight with multiple Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs), a method combining the virtual structure idea and the nonlinear guidance logic is proposed in the paper. The virtual structure idea is adopted, to generate the guidance points for UAVs to follow. The nonlinear guidance logic with a feedback term is used, to follow the guidance points and realize formation keeping. With the combination of the virtual structure idea, the problem of leader-dependence in the traditional leader-follower method can be conquered. From the simulation results, the compact formation requirement can be guaranteed in the flight process by the proposed method, even during the turning maneuver.