Optimal control and line‐of‐sight guidance formation flight

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to design an integrated guidance and control design for a formation flight of four unmanned aerial vehicles to follow a moving ground target.

Design/methodology/approach

The guidance law is based on the line‐of‐sight. The control is optimal. The guidance law is integrated with the optimal control law and is applied to a linear dynamic model.

Findings

The theoretical results are supported by the numerical simulations that illustrate a coordinated encirclement of a ground maneuvering target.

Research limitations/implications

A linear dynamic UAV model and a liner engine model were employed.

Practical implications

This is expected to provide efficient coordination technique required in many civilian circular formation UAV applications; also the technique can be used to provide a safe environment required for the civil applications.

Social implications

The research will facilitate the deployment of autonomous unmanned aircraft systems in various civilian applications such as border monitoring.

Originality/value

The research addresses the challenges of coordination of multiple unmanned aerial vehicles in a circular formation using an integrated optimal control technique with line‐of‐sight guidance.

Citation

Sadraey, M.H. (2013), "Optimal control and line‐of‐sight guidance formation flight", International Journal of Intelligent Unmanned Systems, Vol. 1 No. 3, pp. 228-244. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJIUS-02-2013-0013