Robust Analysis with Controller Design of Forward-Velocity Dynamics of UAVs in Close Formation Flight
Johnson Y1, Imthias Ahamed T P2

1Johnson Y, PhD Research Scholar, Department of Electronics and Electrical Engineering, University of Kerala, Thiruvananthapuram (Kerala), India.
2Imthias Ahamed T P, Department of Electronics and Electrical Engineering, Thangal Kunju Musaliar College of Engineering, Kollam (Kerala)-691005, India.

Manuscript received on 13 April 2017 | Revised Manuscript received on 20 April 2017 | Manuscript Published on 30 April 2017 | PP: 96-102 | Volume-6 Issue-4, April 2017 | Retrieval Number: D4895046417/17©BEIESP
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© The Authors. Blue Eyes Intelligence Engineering and Sciences Publication (BEIESP). This is an open access article under the CC-BY-NC-ND license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/)

Abstract: Study of multi-UAVs (Unmanned Aerospace Vehicles) in close formation flight has received wide attention due to the significant advantages in resource mapping at greater swaths, 3- D imaging etc. The control design study and its analysis is carried out for two aerodynamically non-identical UAVs in a leader-follower pattern of flight and it can be extended for multi UAVs. The modeling includes the effect of leader-trailing-wing vortex on the follower, both for nominal and perturbed system dynamics. Robust controller design to maintain the relative velocity between two UAVs in longitudinal plane close formation flight under nominal, wind and aero-perturbed condition is the major objective of this article. The forward velocity control of the leading vehicle and its tracking by a follower are performed by a PID controller and then compared with that of a robust 𝑯∞ controller.
Keywords: Formation Flight, UAV, PID, Robust H-Infinity, Tracking and Control, Wing Vortex.

Scope of the Article: Structural Reliability Analysis