Title: Leader-follower formation transformation control based on priority model for unmanned surface vehicle in narrow waters

Authors: Linling Wang; Gongxing Wu; Hao Luo

Addresses: Shanghai Engineering Research Center of Intelligent, Maritime Search & Rescue and Underwater Vehicles, Shanghai Maritime University, Shanghai, 201306, China ' College of Ocean Science and Engineering, Shanghai Maritime University, Shanghai, 201306, China ' Automation Engineering Department, Shanghai Marine Diesel Engine Research Institute, Shanghai, 201108, China

Abstract: This paper presents a strategy of formation generation and formation transformation for multiple unmanned surface vehicles (USVs) in narrow waters. In order to solve the problem of multi-USV transformation in narrow waters, priority model and virtual intermediate goal are adopted. Multi-USV formation can successfully pass narrow waters while maintaining its shape by using this method. The formation generation and transformation are controlled by back-stepping based sliding motion controller (BSMC). The combination of back-stepping method and sliding motion control can deal with the uncertainty of mismatch, ensure the real-time performance of control and is easy to deploy on the actual USV. The simulation results show that the method enables the formation change quickly in narrow waters, makes the formation pass smoothly, and the error converges to zero in finite time.

Keywords: formation control; formation transformation; priority model; multi-USV.

DOI: 10.1504/IJVD.2023.131051

International Journal of Vehicle Design, 2023 Vol.91 No.1/2/3, pp.21 - 45

Received: 14 Sep 2021
Received in revised form: 10 Jan 2022
Accepted: 25 Apr 2022
Published online: 22 May 2023 *

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