Hybrid system design for formations of autonomous vehicles

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Abstract
Cooperative control of multiple unmanned aerial vehi- cles (UAVs) poses significant theoretical and technical challenges. Recent advances in sensing, communica- tion and computation enable the conduct of coopera- tive multiple-UAV missions deemed impossible in the recent past. We are interested in solving the Forma- tion Reconfiguration Planning (FRP) problem which is focused on determining a nominal state and input tra- jectory for each vehicle such that the group can start from the given initial configuration and reach its given final configuration at the specified time while satisfy- ing a set of given iiiter- and intra- vehicle constraints. Each solution of a FRP problem represents a distinct reconfiguration mode. When coupled with formation 'keeping modes, they can form a hybrid automaton of formation maneuvers in which a transition from one formation maneuver to another formation maneuver is governed by a finite automaton. This paper focuses on the implementation of the optimized hybrid system ap- proach to formation reconfiguration for a group of 1 real and 3 virtual UAVs. Experimental results performed in the Richmond Field Station by using a helicopter-based Berkeley Aerial Robot are presented.

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