2022/09/23 by Logan E. Beaver, Beaver, Logan E., Christopher Kroninger +5
Computer Science · Physics and Astronomy · #Distributed Control Multi-Agent Systems #FOS: Computer and information sciences #FOS: Electrical engineering #FOS: Mathematics #Micro and Nano Robotics #Optimization and Control (math.OC) #Robotic Path Planning Algorithms #Robotics (cs.RO) #Systems and Control (eess.SY) #electronic engineering #information engineering
paper · pdf · doi:10.48550/arxiv.2209.11664
openalex publication_date 2022/09/23 · openalex created_date 2022/09/27 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/28
The study of robotic flocking has received significant attention in the past twenty years. In this article, we present a constraint-driven control algorithm that minimizes the energy consumption of individual agents and yields an emergent V formation. As the formation emerges from the decentralized interaction between agents, our approach is robust to the spontaneous addition or removal of agents to the system. First, we present an analytical model for the trailing upwash behind a fixed-wing UAV, and we derive the optimal air speed for trailing UAVs to maximize their travel endurance. Next, we prove that simply flying at the optimal airspeed will never lead to emergent flocking behavior, and we propose a new decentralized "anseroid" behavior that yields emergent V formations. We encode these behaviors in a constraint-driven control algorithm that minimizes the locomotive power of each UAV. Finally, we prove that UAVs initialized in an approximate V or echelon formation will converge under our proposed control law, and we demonstrate this emergence occurs in real-time in simulation and in physical experiments with a fleet of Crazyflie quadrotors.