Abstract
In this paper, a novel nonlinear output feedback neural network (NN)-based consensus controller is developed for a group of quadrotor unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). One UAV in the group tracks a desired trajectory while the rest of the group uses consensus-based formation controllers without knowledge of the desired trajectory. Each UAV estimates its own and its neighbor’s velocities through a novel nonlinear NN-based observer by using position and orientation information. Neighboring UAV positions and orientation information is assumed to be available via wireless communication or obtained through local sensors. Since quadrotor UAVs have six degree of freedom with only four control inputs, the UAV’s pitch and roll angles are utilized as virtual control inputs to bring all UAVs to consensus points along x and y directions. The Lyapunov stability theorem is utilized to demonstrate that all the position errors, orientation errors, velocity tracking errors, observer estimation errors, and NN weight estimation errors are semi-globally uniformly ultimately bounded (SGUUB) in the presence of bounded disturbances. The effectiveness of our consensus-based output feedback formation control of quadrotor UAVs is demonstrated in simulation validating our theoretical claims.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Dierks, T., Jagannathan, S.: Neural network control of quadrotor UAV formations. In: American Control Conference ACC ’09, June 2009, p. 29902996 (2009)
Zhao, B., Xian, B., Zhang, Y., Zhang, X.: Nonlinear robust adaptive tracking control of a quadrotor uav via immersion and invariance methodology, vol. 62
Bialy, B.J., Klotz, J., Brink, K., Dixon, W.E.: Lyapunov-based robust adaptive control of a quadrotor UAV in the presence of modeling uncertainties. In: 2013 American Control Conference (ACC), vol. 13–18, pp. 17–19 (2013)
Kuriki, Y., Namerikawa, T.: Formation control of UAVs with a fourth-order flight dynamics. In: 2013 IEEE 52nd Annual Conference on Decision and Control (CDC), vol. 6706, p. 6711 (2013)
Yinqiu, W., Qinghe, W., Yao, W.: Distributed consensus protocols for coordinated control of multiple quadrotors under a directed topology. IET Control Theory Appl. 7(14), 1780 (2013)
Yinqiu, W., Qinghe, W., Yao, W., Di, Y.: Consensus algorithm for multiple quadrotor systems under fixed and switching topologies. J. Syst. Eng. Electron. 24(5), 818,827 (2013)
Zhou, Y., Dong, X., Lu, G., Zhong, Y.: Time-varying formation control for unmanned aerial vehicles with switching interaction topologies. In: 2014 International Conference on Unmanned Aircraft Systems (ICUAS), p. 1203,1209 (2014)
Cheng, H., Chen, Y., Wong, W.S.: Trajectory tracking and formation flight of autonomous UAVs in GPS-denied environments using onboard sensing. In: Guidance, Navigation and Control Conference (CGNCC), 2014 IEEE Chinese, p. 2639, 2645 (2014)
Seo, J.H., Back, J., Kim, H., Shim, H.: Output feedback consensus for high-order linear systems having uniform ranks under switching topology. IET Control Theory Appl. 6(8), 1118 (2012)
Li, H., Liao, X., Huang, T.: Second-order locally dynamical consensus of multiagent systems with arbitrarily fast switching directed topologies. IEEE Trans. Syst. Man Cybern. Syst. 43(6), 1343,1353 (2013)
Wang, J., Obeng, M., Qu, Z., Yang, T., Staskevich, G., Abbe, B.: Discontinuous cooperative control for consensus of multiagent systems with switching topologies and time-delays. In: 2013 IEEE 52nd Annual Conference on Decision and Control (CDC), p. 7333,7338 (2013)
Hoffmann, G., Huang, H., Waslander, S., Tomlin, C.: Quadrotor helicopter flight dynamics and control: Theory and experiment. In: Proc. AIAA Guid Navigat. Control Conf Exhibit, pp. 1–20 (2007)
Dierks, T., Jagannathan, S.: Output feedback control of a quadrotor UAV using neural networks. IEEE Trans. Neural Netw. 21(1), 50–66 (2010)
Ren, W., Atkins, E.: Distributed multi-vehicle coordinated control via local information exchange. Int. J. Robust. Nonlinear Control 17(10-11), 1002–1033 (2007)
Olfati-Saber, R., Murray, R.M.: Consensus problems in networks of robot switching topology and time-delays. IEEE Trans. Autom. Control 49(9), 1520–1533 (2004)
Kecai, C., Bin, J., Dong, Y.: Distributed consensus of multiple nonholonomic mobile robots. IEEE/CAA Journal of Automatica Sinica 1(2), 162–170 (2014)
Di Paola, D., Naso, D., Turchiano, B.: Consensus-based robust decentralized task assignment for heterogeneous robot networks. In: American Control Conference (ACC), 2011, pp. 4711–4716 (2011)
Geng, X.: Consensus-reaching of multiple robots with fewer interactions. In: 2009 WRI World Congress on Computer Science and Information Engineering, pp. 249–253 (2009)
Lewis, F.L., Jagannathan, S., Yesilderek, A.: Neural Network Control of Robot Manipulators and Nonlinear Systems. Taylor & Francis, London (1999)
Semsar-Kazerooni, E., Khorasani, K.: Switching control of a modified leader-follower team of agents under the leader and network topological changes. IET Control Theory Appl. 5(12), 1369–1377 (2011)
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Additional information
Publisher’s Note
Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Guzey, H.M., Dierks, T., Jagannathan, S. et al. Modified Consensus-based Output Feedback Control of Quadrotor UAV Formations Using Neural Networks. J Intell Robot Syst 94, 283–300 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10846-018-0961-y
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10846-018-0961-y