A method for controlling formation of unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) formation

Abstract

This invention belongs to the field of unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) technology, and particularly relates to a method for UAV formation control. The method includes determining the number of UAVs participating in the formation; forming UAV squads based on the number of UAVs; establishing a formation coordinate system and establishing combination formation principles based on the formation coordinate system; setting formation transformation principles based on the combination formation principles; integrating the squad formation principles, combination formation principles, and formation transformation principles; and planning and binding flight paths for all UAVs participating in the formation according to the target formation; and controlling the formation flight of the UAVs participating in the formation, including normal flight, formation flight, and landing flight, based on the bound flight paths. This technical solution standardizes the management of different formation transformation processes, enabling the construction and reconstruction of UAV formations, thereby enhancing the collaborative combat capability and mission completion rate of UAV formations, and adapting to different scenarios and different numbers of UAVs in the formation.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention belongs to the field of unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) technology, and in particular relates to a method for controlling UAV formation. Background Technology

[0002] After decades of development, drone technology has become relatively mature and plays an important role in many fields. To improve the combat effectiveness of drones and cope with more complex combat environments, drone coordinated formation flying is receiving increasing attention both domestically and internationally. Through drone coordinated formation operations, more battlefield environmental information can be obtained, improving combat effectiveness. Formation control is one of the key technologies for drone coordinated operations. Through formation control design, the energy consumed by drones can be saved, flight safety can be ensured, and range can be increased.

[0003] Generally, UAV formations are categorized into loose formations and tight formations based on the distance between UAVs. Tight formations require consideration of the aerodynamic coupling between UAVs for control, while loose formations, with greater distances between UAVs, do not consider aerodynamic factors during formation control. Formation control includes formation design and transformation. Formation design determines the formation structure based on the operational mission and environment. Formation transformation establishes formation reconstruction rules to plan flight paths for UAVs from the current formation to the new formation. Key issues in formation control include designing safe distances between UAVs, transformation under mission requirements, aerodynamic coupling in tight formations, and control of formation formation and transformation processes. Currently, loose formations with greater distances between UAVs remain the preferred choice for both engineering and actual combat. Summary of the Invention

[0004] The purpose of this invention is to provide a method for controlling the formation of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) to realize the construction and transformation of UAV formations, thereby enhancing the collaborative combat capability and mission completion rate of UAV formations.

[0005] The technical solution adopted to achieve the above objectives is as follows:

[0006] A method for controlling the formation of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), characterized by comprising:

[0007] Equipment preparation: Determine the number of drones to participate in the formation based on the target formation, and place all drones participating in the formation on the ground to wait;

[0008] Squad formation principles: Form drone unit squads based on the number of drones, assign roles to each drone in each unit squad, and assign each drone a unique number based on its role;

[0009] Coordinate definition: Establish a formation coordinate system to uniformly describe the relative positions of UAVs in the formation;

[0010] Establish formation principles: Based on the formation coordinate system, for the target formation, set the position allocation and flight control principles for multiple squadrons and multiple aircraft;

[0011] Setting formation change principles: Based on the combined formation principle, set the formation reconstruction principle, that is, follow the position allocation and flight control principle of multiple teams and multiple aircraft, and switch between different formations while ensuring the safe distance between UAVs;

[0012] Pre-flight preparation: Integrating the principles of squad formation, combined formation, and formation change, and based on the target formation, the flight paths of all participating UAVs are planned and set up separately. The set flight paths include normal flight paths, assembly flight paths, and disbandment flight paths.

[0013] Formation control: When the UAV meets the takeoff conditions, commands are sent through the ground station to control the UAVs participating in the formation, including normal flight, formation flight and landing flight, based on the set flight path.

[0014] Preferably, in the process of setting the squad formation principle, the drone roles include lead drone and wingman drone, and each unit squad includes one lead drone and several wingman drones.

[0015] Preferably, in the process of setting the squad formation principle, the drone will be assigned a unique number as... , indicating the first The first in the unit squad Taiwanese drones; when At that time, it was indicated that the drone was the lead aircraft. At that time, it was indicated that the drone was a wingman.

[0016] Preferably, the process of setting the squad formation principle also includes determining the smallest unit, the squad, that is, letting Indicates the number of drones participating in the formation, when When it is an integer, Taiwanese drones are classified as A squad, the smallest unit consisting of a lead aircraft and a wingman; when When it is a non-integer, Taiwan drone team The smallest unit is a squad consisting of a lead aircraft and a wingman, and the smallest unit is a squad consisting of a lead aircraft.

[0017] Preferably, in the process of defining the coordinates, the formation coordinate system is the lead aircraft coordinate system in the plane, that is, with the center of mass of the lead aircraft as the origin, the direction pointing to the nose of the aircraft is the positive Y-axis, and the direction perpendicular to the Y-axis and pointing to the right side of the lead aircraft body is the positive X-axis.

[0018] Preferably, in the process of setting the formation principle, the position allocation and flight control principle of multiple teams and multiple aircraft is as follows: among all the unit teams participating in the formation, the leader aircraft of one unit team is selected as the main leader aircraft, and the leaders of the other unit teams are the co-lead aircraft; each leader aircraft is responsible for the position allocation of the wingmen in its own unit team in its own formation coordinate system, and the main leader aircraft is responsible for the position allocation of all co-lead aircraft in its own formation coordinate system.

[0019] Preferably, in the process of setting the formation change principle, the formation reconstruction principle is achieved by the ground station sending a formation change command to the master unit. The master unit determines the drone numbers that need to change positions based on the differences in the distribution of drones in the current formation and the formation to be switched, and controls the corresponding drones to change positions according to the drone numbers that need to change positions. Specifically:

[0020] If the drone that needs to change position is a wingman in the same unit's squad as the lead drone, then the lead drone will assign a new position to the drone.

[0021] If the drone that needs to change position is the co-lead drone, then the lead drone will assign a new position to the drone.

[0022] If the drone that needs to change position is a wingman in the unit squad of the deputy leader drone, the leader drone sends a position change command to the deputy leader drone in the unit squad of the drone according to the formation to be changed, and the deputy leader drone then assigns a new position to the drone.

[0023] Preferably, the formation control includes the following steps:

[0024] S1 controls all drones to take off in sequence;

[0025] S2, the drone performs a solo flight mission, flying along a normal flight path;

[0026] S3, determine whether the lead aircraft has received the formation command; if not, proceed to step S4, if yes, proceed to step S5;

[0027] S4. Determine whether the lead aircraft has received a landing instruction; if yes, proceed directly to step S12; otherwise, return to step S2.

[0028] S5, the lead aircraft sends position coordinate information to its wingmen in its own unit squad and / or the co-lead aircraft in other unit squads according to the target formation. The co-lead aircraft sends position coordinate information to its wingmen in its own unit squad, so that all co-lead aircraft and wingmen fly along the assembly route to the designated position with the corresponding position coordinate information.

[0029] S6 uses a formation-keeping controller to keep all drones stationary in a designated location.

[0030] S7. Determine whether the lead aircraft has received a formation change instruction; if yes, return to step S5 according to the target formation to be changed; if no, proceed to step S8.

[0031] S8. Determine whether the lead aircraft has received the formation disbanding command; if yes, proceed to step S9; if no, return to step S6.

[0032] S9, the unlanded drones hovered and waited on the disbanding route;

[0033] S10, determine whether the lead aircraft that has not landed has received the formation command; if yes, return to step S5; if no, proceed to step S11.

[0034] S11, determine whether the lead aircraft has received a landing instruction; if yes, proceed to step S12; otherwise, return to step S9.

[0035] S12, based on a single unit squad, the lead aircraft sends landing instructions to the corresponding wingman;

[0036] S13, the wingman determines whether a landing instruction has been received; if yes, proceed to step S14; otherwise, return to step S12.

[0037] S14, Upon receiving the landing instruction, the wingman invokes the landing procedure and lands along the normal flight path;

[0038] S15, Have all the wingmen in the current unit squad landed? If yes, proceed to step S16; otherwise, return to step S12.

[0039] S16, the lead aircraft invokes the landing procedure and lands along the normal flight path;

[0040] S17, determine whether all the lead aircraft have landed; if not, return to step S12; if yes, the UAV flight control mission ends.

[0041] The beneficial effects of this invention are:

[0042] This technical solution proposes a UAV formation control method. It establishes a formation coordinate system to uniformly describe the relative positions of all UAVs within the formation. Based on the squad formation principle, it establishes unit squads, laying the foundation for standardized operations on various basic formations. The unit squad serves as a spatial basis, facilitating the construction of multi-UAV formations. In the combined formation principle, the formations of unit squads are combined to achieve the position allocation and formation process design of multi-team, multi-UAV formations, ensuring the rationality and operability of the formation, which is crucial for subsequent formation changes. Furthermore, this technical solution establishes a formation change principle based on the squad formation and combined formation principles. In the event of unforeseen circumstances, the existing formation can be reconstructed, transforming into different formations through standardized steps. This ensures the formation's anti-interference capability and mission completion rate while maintaining safe distances. In summary, the UAV formation control method proposed in this technical solution designs multiple formations to adapt to different scenarios and different numbers of UAVs, specifies detailed steps for the formation process, standardizes the management of different formation transformation processes, and limits the safe distance between UAVs, thereby ensuring the safety of UAVs and meeting the different mission requirements of formation. Attached Figure Description

[0043] Figure 1 This is a preferred programming control implementation flowchart of the present technical solution;

[0044] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the coordinate system of the lead aircraft.

[0045] Figure 3 Diagram of left / right wing formation;

[0046] Figure 4 A diagram illustrating the horizontal line formation on the left and right;

[0047] Figure 5 This is an illustration of a front / back vertical line formation.

[0048] Figure 6 A schematic diagram of a four-aircraft left-wing formation;

[0049] Figure 7 A schematic diagram of four aircraft arranged in a horizontal line on the left;

[0050] Figure 8 This is a schematic diagram of a four-aircraft formation in a straight line.

[0051] Figure 9 A schematic diagram of a four-aircraft diamond formation;

[0052] Figure 10 A schematic diagram of a generalized diamond formation;

[0053] Figure 11 This is a schematic diagram of a five-machine humanoid formation;

[0054] Figure 12 A schematic diagram of a generalized humanoid formation;

[0055] Figure 13 A schematic diagram of a six-aircraft triangular formation;

[0056] Figure 14 A schematic diagram of a generalized triangular formation;

[0057] Figure 15 This is a schematic diagram illustrating the transformation between a straight-line formation and a diamond formation.

[0058] Figure 16 A schematic diagram illustrating the transformation between a diamond formation and a humanoid formation;

[0059] Figure 17 A schematic diagram illustrating the transformation between humanoid and wing-shaped formations;

[0060] Figure 18 This is a schematic diagram illustrating the transformation between the three-formation formation and the humanoid formation. Detailed Implementation

[0061] To make the purpose, technical solution and advantages of the invention clearer, the technical solution of the invention will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are some embodiments of the invention, but not all embodiments.

[0062] Therefore, the following detailed description of the invention provided in the accompanying drawings is not intended to limit the scope of the claimed invention, but merely to illustrate selected embodiments of the invention. All other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art based on the embodiments of the invention without inventive effort are within the scope of protection of the invention.

[0063] Example 1

[0064] This embodiment discloses a method for controlling the formation of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). As a preferred embodiment of the present invention, it includes:

[0065] Equipment preparation: Determine the number of drones to participate in the formation based on the target formation, and place all drones participating in the formation on the ground to wait;

[0066] Squad formation principles: Form drone unit squads based on the number of drones, assign roles to each drone in each unit squad, and assign each drone a unique number based on its role;

[0067] Coordinate definition: Establish a formation coordinate system to uniformly describe the relative positions of UAVs in the formation;

[0068] Establish formation principles: Based on the formation coordinate system, for the target formation, set the position allocation and flight control principles for multiple squadrons and multiple aircraft;

[0069] Setting formation change principles: Based on the combined formation principle, set the formation reconstruction principle, that is, follow the position allocation and flight control principle of multiple teams and multiple aircraft, and switch between different formations while ensuring the safe distance between UAVs;

[0070] Pre-flight preparation: Integrating the principles of squad formation, combined formation, and formation change, and based on the target formation, the flight paths of all participating UAVs are planned and set up separately. The set flight paths include normal flight paths, assembly flight paths, and disbandment flight paths.

[0071] Formation control: When the UAV meets the takeoff conditions, commands are sent through the ground station to control the UAVs participating in the formation, including normal flight, formation flight and landing flight, based on the set flight path.

[0072] Based on this, the technical solution can accomplish the following operations: It divides the UAV formation control into stages, completing the entire formation process management, including ground waiting, normal takeoff, formation flight, and landing, laying the foundation for the formation formation and transformation designed in this invention. During the ground waiting stage, UAVs are assigned roles on the ground according to formation principles, and flight paths are simultaneously set, including normal flight paths for performing normal flight missions, assembly paths for gathering UAVs to the designated formation, and disbanding paths for disbanding the formation. After role assignment and flight path setting are completed, a takeoff condition check is performed. Once the takeoff conditions are met, the normal flight stage begins, with each UAV flying normally along its respective flight path. If a valid formation flight command is received, the UAV enters the formation flight stage; otherwise, it continues to fly along its individual normal flight path according to its single-aircraft flight strategy. During the formation flight phase, the designed formation is achieved. The lead aircraft sends formation assignments to each wingman, who then maneuvers to their designated positions and maintains the formation. When a UAV receives a valid disband command, it enters the landing phase; otherwise, it receives ground commands to change formation or continue in the current formation. During landing, the lead aircraft lands first using a solo strategy, while the wingmen circle and wait. Once a single wingman receives clearance to land, it lands, while the remaining wingmen continue circling until all wingmen have landed.

[0073] Example 2

[0074] This embodiment discloses a method for controlling the formation of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). As a preferred embodiment of the present invention, it includes:

[0075] Equipment preparation: Determine the number of drones to participate in the formation based on the target formation, and place all drones to participate in the formation on the ground to wait.

[0076] The formation principle for drone squads is as follows: Drone squads are formed based on the number of drones. Each drone within each squad is assigned a role and a unique number based on its role. Drone roles include lead drone and wingman drone, and each squad includes one lead drone and several wingmen drones. Furthermore, each drone is assigned a unique number. , indicating the first The first in the unit squad Taiwanese drones; when At that time, it was indicated that the drone was the lead aircraft. At that time, it was indicated that the drone was a wingman.

[0077] Coordinate Definition: Establish a formation coordinate system to uniformly describe the relative positions of UAVs within the formation. The formation coordinate system is a plane-based leader aircraft coordinate system, with the leader aircraft's center of mass as the origin, the direction pointing towards the nose of the UAV as the positive Y-axis, and the direction perpendicular to the Y-axis and pointing towards the right side of the leader aircraft's body as the positive X-axis.

[0078] Establish formation principles: Based on the formation coordinate system, and for the several unit squads required for the target formation, establish multi-squad and multi-aircraft position allocation and flight control principles. Specifically, the multi-squad and multi-aircraft position allocation and flight control principles are as follows: Among all unit squads participating in the formation, select the lead aircraft of one unit squad as the primary lead aircraft, and the lead aircraft of the remaining unit squads as the co-lead aircraft; each lead aircraft is responsible for the position allocation of its wingmen in its own unit squad within its own formation coordinate system, and the primary lead aircraft is responsible for the position allocation of all co-lead aircraft within its own formation coordinate system.

[0079] Establish formation change principles: Based on the combined formation principles, establish formation reconstruction principles, that is, follow the position allocation and flight control principles of multiple teams and multiple aircraft, and switch between different formations while ensuring safe distances between UAVs.

[0080] Pre-flight preparation: Integrating the principles of squad formation, combined formation, and formation change, and based on the target formation, the flight paths of all participating UAVs are planned and set up separately. The set flight paths include normal flight paths, assembly flight paths, and disbandment flight paths.

[0081] Formation control: When the UAV meets the takeoff conditions, commands are sent through the ground station to control the UAVs participating in the formation, including normal flight, formation flight and landing flight, based on the set flight path.

[0082] Example 3

[0083] This embodiment discloses a method for controlling the formation of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). As a preferred embodiment of the present invention, it includes:

[0084] Equipment preparation: Determine the number of drones to participate in the formation based on the target formation, and place all drones to participate in the formation on the ground to wait.

[0085] The formation principle for drone squads is as follows: Drone squads are formed based on the number of drones. Each drone within each squad is assigned a role and a unique number based on its role. Drone roles include lead drone and wingman drone, and each squad includes one lead drone and several wingmen drones. Furthermore, each drone is assigned a unique number. , indicating the first The first in the unit squad Taiwanese drones; when At that time, it was indicated that the drone was the lead aircraft. At that time, it was indicated that the drone was a wingman.

[0086] Coordinate Definition: Establish a formation coordinate system to uniformly describe the relative positions of UAVs within the formation. The formation coordinate system is a plane-based leader aircraft coordinate system, with the leader aircraft's center of mass as the origin, the direction pointing towards the nose of the UAV as the positive Y-axis, and the direction perpendicular to the Y-axis and pointing towards the right side of the leader aircraft's body as the positive X-axis.

[0087] Establish formation principles: Based on the formation coordinate system, and for the several unit squads required for the target formation, establish multi-squad and multi-aircraft position allocation and flight control principles. Specifically, the multi-squad and multi-aircraft position allocation and flight control principles are as follows: Among all unit squads participating in the formation, select the lead aircraft of one unit squad as the primary lead aircraft, and the lead aircraft of the remaining unit squads as the co-lead aircraft; each lead aircraft is responsible for the position allocation of its wingmen in its own unit squad within its own formation coordinate system, and the primary lead aircraft is responsible for the position allocation of all co-lead aircraft within its own formation coordinate system.

[0088] Establish formation change principles: Based on the combined formation principles, establish formation reconstruction principles, that is, continue the principles of multi-team, multi-aircraft position allocation and flight control, and switch between different formations while ensuring safe distances between UAVs. Specifically, the formation reconstruction principle involves the ground station sending formation change commands to the lead aircraft. The lead aircraft, based on the differences in UAV distribution between the current formation and the formation to be switched, determines the UAV numbers that need to change positions, and controls the corresponding UAVs to change positions accordingly. Specifically:

[0089] If the drone that needs to change position is a wingman in the same unit's squad as the lead drone, then the lead drone will assign a new position to the drone.

[0090] If the drone that needs to change position is the co-lead drone, then the lead drone will assign a new position to the drone.

[0091] If the drone that needs to change position is a wingman in the unit squad of the deputy leader drone, the leader drone sends a position change command to the deputy leader drone in the unit squad of the drone according to the formation to be changed, and the deputy leader drone then assigns a new position to the drone.

[0092] Pre-flight preparation: Integrating the principles of squad formation, combined formation, and formation change, and based on the target formation, the flight paths of all participating UAVs are planned and set up separately. The set flight paths include normal flight paths, assembly flight paths, and disbandment flight paths.

[0093] Formation control: When the UAV meets the takeoff conditions, commands are sent through the ground station to control the UAVs participating in the formation, including normal flight, formation flight and landing flight, based on the set flight path.

[0094] Example 4

[0095] This embodiment discloses a method for controlling the formation of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). As a preferred embodiment of the present invention, it includes:

[0096] Equipment preparation: Determine the number of drones to participate in the formation based on the target formation, and place all drones to participate in the formation on the ground to wait.

[0097] The formation principle for drone squads is as follows: Drone squads are formed based on the number of drones. Each drone within each squad is assigned a role and a unique number based on its role. Drone roles include lead drone and wingman drone, and each squad includes one lead drone and several wingmen drones. Furthermore, each drone is assigned a unique number. , indicating the first The first in the unit squad Taiwanese drones; when At that time, it was indicated that the drone was the lead aircraft. At that time, it was indicated that the drone was a wingman.

[0098] Coordinate Definition: Establish a formation coordinate system to uniformly describe the relative positions of UAVs within the formation. The formation coordinate system is as follows: Figure 2 As shown, this is the coordinate system of the lead aircraft in the plane, with the center of mass of the lead aircraft as the origin, the direction pointing towards the nose of the aircraft as the positive Y-axis, and the direction perpendicular to the Y-axis and pointing towards the right side of the lead aircraft body as the positive X-axis.

[0099] Establish formation principles: Based on the formation coordinate system, and for the several unit squads required for the target formation, establish multi-squad and multi-aircraft position allocation and flight control principles. Specifically, the multi-squad and multi-aircraft position allocation and flight control principles are as follows: Among all unit squads participating in the formation, select the lead aircraft of one unit squad as the primary lead aircraft, and the lead aircraft of the remaining unit squads as the co-lead aircraft; each lead aircraft is responsible for the position allocation of its wingmen in its own unit squad within its own formation coordinate system, and the primary lead aircraft is responsible for the position allocation of all co-lead aircraft within its own formation coordinate system.

[0100] Establish formation change principles: Based on the combined formation principles, establish formation reconstruction principles, that is, continue the principles of multi-team, multi-aircraft position allocation and flight control, and switch between different formations while ensuring safe distances between UAVs. Specifically, the formation reconstruction principle involves the ground station sending formation change commands to the lead aircraft. The lead aircraft, based on the differences in UAV distribution between the current formation and the formation to be switched, determines the UAV numbers that need to change positions, and controls the corresponding UAVs to change positions accordingly. Specifically:

[0101] If the drone that needs to change position is a wingman in the same unit's squad as the lead drone, then the lead drone will assign a new position to the drone.

[0102] If the drone that needs to change position is the co-lead drone, then the lead drone will assign a new position to the drone.

[0103] If the drone that needs to change position is a wingman in the unit squad of the deputy leader drone, the leader drone sends a position change command to the deputy leader drone in the unit squad of the drone according to the formation to be changed, and the deputy leader drone then assigns a new position to the drone.

[0104] Pre-flight preparation: Integrating the principles of squad formation, combined formation, and formation change, and based on the target formation, the flight paths of all participating UAVs are planned and set up separately. The set flight paths include normal flight paths, assembly flight paths, and disbandment flight paths.

[0105] Formation control: When the UAVs meet the takeoff conditions, commands are sent through the ground station to control the UAVs participating in the formation, including normal flight, formation flight, and landing flight, based on the pre-defined flight path. Specifically, formation control includes the following steps:

[0106] S1 controls all drones to take off in sequence;

[0107] S2, the drone performs a solo flight mission, flying along a normal flight path;

[0108] S3, determine whether the lead aircraft has received the formation command; if not, proceed to step S4, if yes, proceed to step S5;

[0109] S4. Determine whether the lead aircraft has received a landing instruction; if yes, proceed directly to step S12; otherwise, return to step S2.

[0110] S5, the lead aircraft sends position coordinate information to its wingmen in its own unit squad and / or the co-lead aircraft in other unit squads according to the target formation. The co-lead aircraft sends position coordinate information to its wingmen in its own unit squad, so that all co-lead aircraft and wingmen fly along the assembly route to the designated position with the corresponding position coordinate information.

[0111] S6 uses a formation-keeping controller to keep all drones stationary in a designated location.

[0112] S7. Determine whether the lead aircraft has received a formation change instruction; if yes, return to step S5 according to the target formation to be changed; if no, proceed to step S8.

[0113] S8. Determine whether the lead aircraft has received the formation disbanding command; if yes, proceed to step S9; if no, return to step S6.

[0114] S9, the unlanded drones hovered and waited on the disbanding route;

[0115] S10, determine whether the lead aircraft that has not landed has received the formation command; if yes, return to step S5; if no, proceed to step S11.

[0116] S11, determine whether the lead aircraft has received a landing instruction; if yes, proceed to step S12; otherwise, return to step S9.

[0117] S12, based on a single unit squad, the lead aircraft sends landing instructions to the corresponding wingman;

[0118] S13, the wingman determines whether a landing instruction has been received; if yes, proceed to step S14; otherwise, return to step S12.

[0119] S14, Upon receiving the landing instruction, the wingman invokes the landing procedure and lands along the normal flight path;

[0120] S15, Have all the wingmen in the current unit squad landed? If yes, proceed to step S16; otherwise, return to step S12.

[0121] S16, the lead aircraft invokes the landing procedure and lands along the normal flight path;

[0122] S17, determine whether all the lead aircraft have landed; if not, return to step S12; if yes, the UAV flight control mission ends.

[0123] This technical solution divides the UAV formation control into stages, completing the entire formation process management from ground waiting, normal takeoff, formation flight, and landing, laying the foundation for the formation formation and transformation designed in this invention. In the ground waiting stage, UAVs are assigned roles on the ground according to formation principles, and flight paths are simultaneously set, including normal flight paths for performing normal flight missions, assembly paths for assembling UAVs into the designated formation, and disbanding paths for disbanding the formation. After role assignment and flight path setting are completed, takeoff condition checks are performed. Once takeoff conditions are met, the normal flight stage begins, with each UAV flying normally along its own flight path. If a valid formation flight command is received, the UAV enters the formation flight stage; otherwise, it continues to fly along its individual normal flight path according to its individual flight strategy. In the formation flight stage, the designed formation is achieved. The lead UAV sends formation assignment positions to each wingman, and each wingman controls its UAV to the designated formation position, maintaining formation flight. When a UAV receives a valid formation disbanding command, it enters the landing stage; otherwise, it receives ground commands to change formation or continue flying in the current formation. During the landing phase, landing can be carried out sequentially by individual units, as described in steps S12 to S17 above. Alternatively, all lead aircraft can land sequentially according to a single-aircraft strategy, while all wingmen circle and wait on the disband route or fly along the normal route. When a single wingman receives permission to land, it lands, and the remaining wingmen continue to circle until all wingmen have completed their landing.

[0124] Example 5

[0125] This embodiment discloses a method for controlling the formation of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). As a preferred embodiment of the present invention, it includes:

[0126] Equipment preparation: Determine the number of drones to participate in the formation based on the target formation, and place all drones to participate in the formation on the ground to wait.

[0127] The formation principle for drone squads is as follows: Drone squads are formed based on the number of drones. Each drone within each squad is assigned a role and a unique number based on that role. More specifically, before takeoff, drones are first assigned roles on the ground, i.e., each drone is assigned a unique number. , indicating the first The first in the unit squad Taiwanese drones; when At that time, it was indicated that the drone was the lead aircraft. At that time, it indicates that the drone is a wingman. Furthermore, the principles for setting up squad formation also include determining the smallest unit, the squad, that is, ordering... Indicates the number of drones participating in the formation, when When it is an integer, Taiwanese drones are classified as A squad, the smallest unit consisting of a lead aircraft and a wingman; when When it is a non-integer, Taiwan drone team The smallest unit squad consists of one lead drone and one wingman, and the smallest unit squad consists of one lead drone. For example, a unit squad consists of 2 drones (the number of members in a unit squad can be expanded according to the mission situation), and the remaining drones form separate squads. When assigning roles, wingmen are given priority in team formation. Generally speaking, 4 drones flying in formation are divided into 2 unit squads. The first unit squad includes the lead drone. and wingman The second unit squad includes the lead aircraft. and wingman The five drones flew in formation, divided into three squadrons. The first squadron included the lead drone. and wingman The second unit squad includes the lead aircraft. and wingman The third unit squad includes the lead aircraft. The six drones flew in formation, divided into three squadrons. The first squadron included the lead drone. and wingman The second unit squad includes the lead aircraft. and wingman The third unit squad includes the lead aircraft. and wingman When different numbers of drones fly in formation, following the aforementioned example, a unified formation principle is used to clearly define the roles and numbers of the drones, facilitating the allocation of pre-defined formation positions to specific drones. In summary, drone roles include lead drone and wingmen, and each unit squadron includes one lead drone, or one lead drone and several wingmen.

[0128] Coordinate Definition: Establish a formation coordinate system to uniformly describe the relative positions of UAVs within the formation. The formation coordinate system is a plane-based leader aircraft coordinate system, with the leader aircraft's center of mass as the origin, the direction pointing towards the nose of the UAV as the positive Y-axis, and the direction perpendicular to the Y-axis and pointing towards the right side of the leader aircraft's body as the positive X-axis.

[0129] Establish formation principles: Based on the formation coordinate system, and for the several unit squads required for the target formation, establish multi-squad and multi-aircraft position allocation and flight control principles. Specifically, the multi-squad and multi-aircraft position allocation and flight control principles are as follows: Among all unit squads participating in the formation, select the lead aircraft of one unit squad as the primary lead aircraft, and the lead aircraft of the remaining unit squads as the co-lead aircraft; each lead aircraft is responsible for the position allocation of its wingmen in its own unit squad within its own formation coordinate system, and the primary lead aircraft is responsible for the position allocation of all co-lead aircraft within its own formation coordinate system.

[0130] Establish formation change principles: Based on the combined formation principles, establish formation reconstruction principles, that is, continue the principles of multi-team, multi-aircraft position allocation and flight control, and switch between different formations while ensuring safe distances between UAVs. Specifically, the formation reconstruction principle involves the ground station sending formation change commands to the lead aircraft. The lead aircraft, based on the differences in UAV distribution between the current formation and the formation to be switched, determines the UAV numbers that need to change positions, and controls the corresponding UAVs to change positions accordingly. Specifically:

[0131] If the drone that needs to change position is a wingman in the same unit's squad as the lead drone, then the lead drone will assign a new position to the drone.

[0132] If the drone that needs to change position is the co-lead drone, then the lead drone will assign a new position to the drone.

[0133] If the drone that needs to change position is a wingman in the unit squad of the deputy leader drone, the leader drone sends a position change command to the deputy leader drone in the unit squad of the drone according to the formation to be changed, and the deputy leader drone then assigns a new position to the drone.

[0134] Pre-flight preparation: Integrating the principles of squad formation, combined formation, and formation change, and based on the target formation, the flight paths of all participating UAVs are planned and set up separately. The set flight paths include normal flight paths, assembly flight paths, and disbandment flight paths.

[0135] Formation control: When the UAV meets the takeoff conditions, commands are sent through the ground station to control the UAVs participating in the formation, including normal flight, formation flight and landing flight, based on the set flight path.

[0136] Example 6

[0137] This embodiment discloses a method for controlling the formation of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). As a preferred implementation of the present invention, it includes setting up unit squads based on the principle of squad formation to manage the formation of several UAVs within a unit squad. The method designs the position allocation and formation process for establishing six basic formations, using the smallest squad formation as a spatial basis to facilitate the construction of formations for multiple UAVs. The first basic formation is a (left / right) wing-shaped formation, including wing-shaped formations of a single unit squad and wing-shaped formations of multiple squads.

[0138] in:

[0139] A single unit squad's wing-shaped formation, such as Figure 3 As shown, the members participating in the formation include the lead aircraft. and his wingmen Their formation positions are assigned as follows:

[0140] Using the lead aircraft in the formation as the origin of the coordinate system, and Here, are distance scalars, representing the wingman's straight-line distance relative to the lead aircraft along the X-axis and Y-axis in the lead aircraft's coordinate system, respectively. The wingman's position within the formation. It can be calculated using the following method:

[0141] ;

[0142] ;

[0143] in, This indicates the wingman's number, based on the number of wingmen. , , This represents the total number of members in a unit squadron (including the lead aircraft and all wingmen). The formation process is as follows:

[0144] Formation formation is established via ground station commands, setting the left / right wing formation. Formation maintenance is maintained, with the lead aircraft transmitting its position coordinates to the wingmen. Wingman calls upon the formation to maintain control. Formation exit: Execute formation exit via ground station command; the unit / squadron returns to base along the normal flight path. Formation disband: Disband all formation member drones via ground station command.

[0145] Multiple unit squads in wing-shaped formations, such as Figure 4 As shown, taking a four-aircraft left-wing formation as an example, the members participating in the formation include two unit squads, with the first unit squad consisting of the lead aircraft. and his wingmen The second unit's squad members are the deputy commanders. and his wingmen Their formation positions are assigned as follows:

[0146] First, based on the aforementioned wing-shaped formation for individual unit squads, the two unit squads respectively execute and maintain a left-wing formation, and respectively load their parameters— , Secondly, generate a four-aircraft left-wing formation, where the lead aircraft and the main aircraft maintain a left-wing formation, with the following parameters: ;in, Indicates the sequence number of the unit / team. Represented as the first The number of all members in a unit squad.

[0147] Example 7

[0148] This embodiment discloses a method for controlling the formation of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). As a preferred implementation of the present invention, it includes setting up unit squads based on the principle of squad formation to manage the formation of several UAVs within a unit squad. The method designs the position allocation and formation process for establishing six basic formations, using the smallest squad formation as a spatial basis to facilitate the construction of formations for multiple UAVs. The second basic formation is a left / right horizontal line formation, including left / right horizontal line formations for a single unit squad and left / right horizontal line formations for multiple squads.

[0149] in:

[0150] The left / right horizontal line formation of a single unit squad is as follows: Figure 5 As shown, the members participating in the formation include the lead aircraft. and his wingmen Their formation positions are assigned as follows:

[0151] Using the lead aircraft in the formation as the origin of the coordinate system, and Here, are distance scalars, representing the wingman's straight-line distance relative to the lead aircraft along the X-axis and Y-axis in the lead aircraft's coordinate system, respectively. The wingman's position within the formation. It can be calculated using the following method:

[0152] ;

[0153] ;

[0154] in, This indicates the wingman's number, based on the number of wingmen. , , This represents the total number of members in the unit squadron (including the lead aircraft and all wingmen). The formation process is as follows: Formation formation is achieved by setting the left / right horizontal line formation via ground station commands. Formation maintenance is maintained by the lead aircraft sending its position coordinates to wingman J. The wingman calls upon the formation to maintain control. Formation disengagement is executed via ground station commands, with the unit / squad returning to base along the normal flight path. Formation disbandment is achieved via ground station commands to disband all formation member drones.

[0155] Multiple unit squads arranged in a horizontal line from left to right, such as Figure 6 As shown, taking a four-aircraft left-side horizontal line formation as an example, the members participating in the formation include two unit squads, with the first unit squad consisting of the lead aircraft. and his wingmen The second unit's squad members are the deputy commanders. and his wingmen Their formation positions are assigned as follows:

[0156] First, based on the aforementioned left / right horizontal line formation method for individual unit squads, the two unit squads respectively execute and maintain the horizontal line formation, and respectively bind the parameters— , Secondly, generate a four-aircraft left-hand horizontal line formation, meaning the lead aircraft and the lead aircraft maintain a left-hand horizontal line formation, with the binding parameters as follows: ;in, Indicates the sequence number of the unit / team. Represented as the first The number of all members in a unit squad.

[0157] Example 8

[0158] This embodiment discloses a method for controlling the formation of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). As a preferred implementation of the present invention, it includes setting up unit squads based on the principle of squad formation to manage the formation of several UAVs within a unit squad. The method designs the position allocation and formation process for establishing six basic formations, using the smallest squad formation as a spatial basis to facilitate the construction of formations for multiple UAVs. The third basic formation is a front / rear line formation, including front / rear line formations for a single unit squad and front / rear line formations for multiple squads.

[0159] in:

[0160] The front / rear line formation of a single unit squad is as follows: Figure 7 As shown, the members participating in the formation include the lead aircraft. and his wingmen Their formation positions are assigned as follows:

[0161] Using the lead aircraft in the formation as the origin of the coordinate system, and Here, are distance scalars, representing the wingman's straight-line distance relative to the lead aircraft along the X-axis and Y-axis in the lead aircraft's coordinate system, respectively. The wingman's position within the formation. It can be calculated using the following method:

[0162] ;

[0163] ;

[0164] in, This indicates the wingman's number, based on the number of wingmen. , , This represents the total number of members in the unit squadron (including the lead aircraft and all wingmen). The formation process is as follows: Formation formation is achieved by setting the left / right horizontal line formation via ground station commands. Formation maintenance is maintained by the lead aircraft sending its position coordinates to wingman J. The wingman calls upon the formation to maintain control. Formation disengagement is executed via ground station commands, with the unit / squad returning to base along the normal flight path. Formation disbandment is achieved via ground station commands to disband all formation member drones.

[0165] Multiple unit squads in a front / rear line formation, such as Figure 8 As shown, the aircraft are arranged in a four-aircraft formation with the lead plane in a straight line. The members of the formation include two unit squads, with the first unit squad consisting of the lead aircraft. and his wingmen The second unit's squad members are the deputy commanders. and his wingmen Their formation positions are assigned as follows:

[0166] First, based on the aforementioned single-unit squad's front / rear line formation method, the two squads respectively execute and maintain the front line formation, and respectively bind the parameters— , Secondly, generate a four-plane forward line formation, meaning the deputy lead aircraft and the lead aircraft maintain a forward line formation, with the binding parameters as follows: ;in, Indicates the sequence number of the unit / team. Represented as the first The number of all members in a unit squad.

[0167] Example 9

[0168] This embodiment discloses a method for controlling the formation of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). As a preferred implementation of the invention, it includes setting up unit squads based on squad formation principles for managing the formation of multiple UAVs within a unit squad. The method designs the position allocation and formation process for establishing six basic formations, using the smallest squad formation as a spatial basis to facilitate the construction of formations for multiple UAVs. The fourth basic formation is a diamond formation based on the wing-shaped formation of a single unit squad. Generating a diamond formation from a unit squad requires satisfying the following constraints: each unit squad has the same number of members, and the number of members in a unit squad equals the number of unit squads; the number of unit squads forming the diamond formation... When the number of unit squads forming a diamond formation When the number of units forming a diamond formation is at the minimum, it is considered a minimum diamond formation; when the number of units forming a diamond formation is at the minimum, it is considered a minimum diamond formation. At that time, in order to expand the diamond formation.

[0169] The wing-shaped formation positions of a single unit squadron are allocated as follows: with the lead aircraft in the formation as the origin of the coordinate system. and Here, are distance scalars, representing the wingman's straight-line distance relative to the lead aircraft along the X-axis and Y-axis in the lead aircraft's coordinate system, respectively. The wingman's position within the formation. It can be calculated using the following method:

[0170] ;

[0171] ;

[0172] in, This indicates the wingman's number, based on the number of wingmen. , , It represents the total number of members in a unit squadron (including the lead aircraft and all wingmen).

[0173] Based on the above wing-shaped formation position allocation for individual unit squads, taking the left-wing formation as an example, the smallest diamond formation is as follows: Figure 9 As shown, the members participating in the formation include two unit squads in a left-wing formation, with the first unit squad consisting of the lead aircraft. and his wingmen The second unit's squad members are the deputy commanders. and his wingmen Based on this, the formation process of the four-aircraft diamond formation is as follows:

[0174] First, the two unit squads each executed and maintained a left-wing formation, and each loaded its parameters— , Secondly, generate a four-aircraft diamond formation, where the lead aircraft and the main aircraft form a right-wing formation, with the following parameters: ;in, Indicates the sequence number of the unit / team. Represented as the first The number of all members in a unit squad.

[0175] Furthermore, based on the aforementioned wing-shaped formation position allocation for individual unit squads, taking the left-wing formation as an example, the diamond formation can be extended as follows: Figure 10 As shown, a generalized diamond formation management system can be implemented based on the extended diamond formation. Let the total number of drones participating in the formation be... The formation process of the expanded diamond formation is as follows:

[0176] Will Taiwanese drones are classified as There are 10 unit squads, and each unit squad has 100 units. Each member is a drone. Based on this, firstly, Each unit squad shall execute and maintain a left-wing formation, and each shall load its own parameters. , Secondly, generate a multi-aircraft diamond formation, where all co-leaders and the lead aircraft maintain a right-wing formation, with the following parameters: ;in, Indicates the sequence number of the unit / team. Represented as the first The number of all members in a unit squad.

[0177] Example 10

[0178] This embodiment discloses a method for controlling the formation of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). As a preferred implementation of the present invention, it includes setting up unit squads based on the squad formation principle to manage the formation of several UAVs within a unit squad. The method designs the position allocation and formation process for establishing six basic formations, using the smallest squad formation as a spatial basis to facilitate the construction of formations for multiple UAVs. The fifth basic formation is a humanoid formation based on the wing-shaped formation of a single unit squad.

[0179] The wing-shaped formation positions of a single unit squadron are allocated as follows: with the lead aircraft in the formation as the origin of the coordinate system. and Here, are distance scalars, representing the wingman's straight-line distance relative to the lead aircraft along the X-axis and Y-axis in the lead aircraft's coordinate system, respectively. The wingman's position within the formation. It can be calculated using the following method:

[0180] ;

[0181] ;

[0182] in, This indicates the wingman's number, based on the number of wingmen. , , It represents the total number of members in a unit squadron (including the lead aircraft and all wingmen).

[0183] Based on the above-mentioned wing-shaped formation position allocation of individual unit squads, such as Figure 11 As shown, a five-machine humanoid formation is carried out, with the main machine participating in the formation. co-lead aircraft and his wingmen and co-lead aircraft and his wingmen Based on this, the formation process of the five humanoid robots is as follows:

[0184] First Officer and his wingmen Execute and maintain a left-wing formation, with the co-lead aircraft and his wingmen Execute and maintain a right-wing formation, with the co-lead aircraft and co-lead aircraft Separately with the main and lead aircraft They form left-wing and right-wing formations.

[0185] Based on the above five-machine humanoid formation, establish a general humanoid formation rule. For example... Figure 12 As shown, the total number of drones participating in the formation is The platform is divided into three unit squads, one of which has only one member drone (serving as the lead drone); the other two unit squads have... Each member drone consists of a co-leader and a... Taiwanese wingman. The formation process of this humanoid formation is as follows:

[0186] First, two with Each member drone unit squad separately executes and maintains left-wing and right-wing formations, and separately sets the formation parameters— , Secondly, generate humanoid formations, where the two co-pilots maintain left-wing and right-wing formations respectively with the lead aircraft.

[0187] Example 11

[0188] This embodiment discloses a method for controlling the formation of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). As a preferred implementation of the present invention, it includes setting up unit squads based on the principle of squad formation to manage the formation of several UAVs within a unit squad. The method designs the position allocation and formation process for establishing six basic formations, using the smallest squad formation as a spatial basis to facilitate the construction of formations for multiple UAVs. The sixth basic formation is a triangular formation combining a single unit squad's (left / right) wing-shaped formation and a single unit squad's forward / rear longitudinal line formation.

[0189] Among them, the wing-shaped formation of a single unit squad is as follows Figure 3 As shown, the members participating in the formation include the lead aircraft. and his wingmen The formation positions are allocated as follows: with the lead aircraft in the formation as the origin, and Here, are distance scalars, representing the wingman's straight-line distance relative to the lead aircraft along the X-axis and Y-axis in the lead aircraft's coordinate system, respectively. The wingman's position within the formation. It can be calculated using the following method:

[0190] ;

[0191] ;

[0192] in, This indicates the wingman's number, based on the number of wingmen. , , It represents the total number of members in a unit squadron (including the lead aircraft and all wingmen).

[0193] The front / rear line formation of a single unit squad is as follows: Figure 7 As shown, the members participating in the formation include the lead aircraft. and his wingmen Their formation positions are assigned as follows:

[0194] Using the lead aircraft in the formation as the origin of the coordinate system, and Here, are distance scalars, representing the wingman's straight-line distance relative to the lead aircraft along the X-axis and Y-axis in the lead aircraft's coordinate system, respectively. The wingman's position within the formation. It can be calculated using the following method:

[0195] ;

[0196] ;

[0197] in, This indicates the wingman's number, based on the number of wingmen. , , It represents the total number of members in a unit squadron (including the lead aircraft and all wingmen).

[0198] according to Figure 13 As shown, a six-aircraft triangular formation is formed based on airfoil formation and a rear-column straight-line formation, with one lead aircraft participating in the formation. and his wingmen co-lead aircraft and his wingmen and co-lead aircraft and his wingmen The formation process based on this triangular formation is as follows:

[0199] First, the lead aircraft and his wingmen Execute and maintain a front / rear single-file formation, co-lead aircraft and his wingmen Execute and maintain left-wing formation, co-lead aircraft and his wingmen Execute and maintain a right-wing formation; secondly, generate a six-aircraft triangular formation, i.e., the co-leader aircraft. and co-lead aircraft They maintained left-wing and right-wing formations respectively with the lead aircraft.

[0200] Furthermore, a universal triangular formation rule will be established, following the approach of six-aircraft triangular formation. For example... Figure 14 As shown, the total number of drones participating in the formation is ,Will Taiwanese drones are divided into Each unit squad includes one unit squad with a master leader (making that unit squad the master unit squad) and There is a unit squad with a deputy leader (such a unit squad is called a deputy unit squad), that is The main unit squad adopts a rear-column single-file formation; all auxiliary unit squads adopt left / right wing formations respectively, and cooperate with the drone members in the main unit squad to form several humanoid formations. The main unit squad executes a rear-column single-file formation, parameter— (To coordinate with the deputy unit's squad to transform from humanoid formation to triangular formation), specifically: Order This indicates the drone member number within the main unit's squad. This represents the total number of drone members in the main unit squad, i.e. Furthermore, let This indicates the drone member number within the sub-unit squad, and Two sub-unit squads with the same number of drone members each, along with a single drone member from the main unit squad, form a humanoid formation. The numbering of the corresponding drone members in the two sub-unit squads and the main unit squad follows the following relationship: the numbering of one sub-unit squad (using a right-wing configuration)... The number of another deputy unit squad .like Figure 14 As shown, when At that time, the squad numbered in the main unit was The drone crew members, and the drone crew member numbers in the two corresponding sub-unit squads are respectively and And the number of drone members in these two deputy unit squads is (That is, the number of drone members in squads numbered 2 and 3 is equal, and all are...) Based on this, the following equation relationship exists in this technical solution:

[0201] ;

[0202] ;

[0203] ;

[0204] ;

[0205] in, Indicates number The number of drone members in a unit squad at any given time. Indicates number The number of drone members in a unit squad at any given time.

[0206] Example 12

[0207] This embodiment discloses a method for controlling the formation of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). As a preferred implementation of the present invention, the method includes setting up unit squads based on the squad formation principle to manage the formation of several UAVs in a unit squad. The method designs the position allocation and formation process of establishing six basic formations, uses the smallest squad formation as a spatial basis, and facilitates the construction of formations of multiple UAVs based on this. Based on the set formation transformation principle, different formations can be adaptively transformed. When the task or environment changes, the existing formation of the same number of UAVs can be reconstructed to ensure the anti-interference capability and task completion rate of the formation.

[0208] The formation changes are as follows:

[0209] like Figure 15 As shown, the transformation between a single-file formation and a diamond formation is performed. Taking four drones as an example, roles are first assigned on the ground. The four drones are divided into two unit teams, one of which includes the lead drone. and his wingmen Another unit squad includes the co-leader. and his wingmen The formation change process is as follows: 1) Linear formation → Diamond formation: The current flight formation is a linear formation. Upon receiving the diamond formation command, the formation process is directly initiated to form a diamond formation. 2) Diamond formation → Linear formation: The current flight formation is a diamond formation. Upon receiving the linear formation command, the lead aircraft... With the co-lead aircraft After execution, the formation is done in a single line, with parameters— Two unit squads simultaneously execute a rear-line formation, parameter— .

[0210] like Figure 16As shown, the transformation between a diamond formation and a humanoid formation is performed. Taking four drones as an example, roles are first assigned on the ground. The four drones are divided into two unit teams, with the first unit team including the lead drone. and his wingmen The second unit squad includes the deputy lead aircraft. and his wingmen The formation change process is as follows: 1) Diamond formation → Humanoid formation, that is, the current flight formation is a diamond formation. After receiving the humanoid formation instruction, the second unit squad executes a right-wing formation. Parameter — 2) Humanoid Formation → Diamond Formation: The current flight formation is a humanoid formation. After receiving the diamond formation instruction, if the second unit squad is to the right of the first unit squad, the second unit squad will execute a left-wing formation; if the second unit squad is to the left of the first unit squad, the second unit squad will execute a right-wing formation.

[0211] like Figure 17 As shown, the transformation between humanoid and wing-shaped formations is performed. Taking four drones as an example, roles are first assigned on the ground, dividing the four drones into two unit teams. The first unit team includes the lead drone. and his wingmen The second unit squad includes the deputy lead aircraft. and his wingmen The formation change process is as follows: 1) Humanoid formation → Wing formation: The current flight formation is a humanoid formation. Upon receiving the wing formation command, the following actions are executed: The first officer and the lead aircraft execute the wing formation (the second unit squad executes the right wing formation to the right of the first unit squad; if the second unit squad executes the left wing formation to the left of the first unit squad), and then the two unit squads execute the wing formation in the same direction respectively. Parameter— 2) Wing Formation → Humanoid Formation: The current flight formation is a wing formation. Upon receiving the humanoid formation command, if the current formation is a right wing formation, the first unit squadron will execute a left wing formation. Parameter — The first officer and the lead aircraft executed a right-wing formation, parameter— If the current formation is left-wing, the first unit squad will execute right-wing formation, parameter — The first officer and the lead aircraft executed a left-wing formation, parameter— .

[0212] like Figure 18 As shown, the transformation between humanoid and triangular formations is performed. Taking 6 drones as an example, the roles are first assigned on the ground. The first unit squad includes the lead drone. and his wingmen The second unit squad includes the deputy lead aircraft. and his wingmen The third unit squad includes the deputy lead aircraft. and his wingmen The formation change process is as follows: 1) Triangular formation → Humanoid formation, that is, the current flight formation is a triangular formation. After receiving the humanoid formation instruction, the third unit, the co-lead aircraft... With the main engine Execute right-wing formation, parameters— Humanoid Formation → Triangular Formation: The current flight formation is a humanoid formation. Upon receiving the triangular formation command, the first unit squad will execute a single-file formation. Parameters— co-pilot With the main engine Execute right-wing formation, parameters— .

Claims

1. A method for controlling the formation of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), characterized in that, include: Equipment preparation: Determine the number of drones to participate in the formation based on the target formation, and place all drones participating in the formation on the ground to wait; Squad formation principles: Form drone unit squads based on the number of drones, assign roles to each drone in each unit squad, and assign each drone a unique number based on its role; Coordinate definition: Establish a formation coordinate system to uniformly describe the relative positions of UAVs in the formation; the formation coordinate system is the lead aircraft coordinate system in the plane, that is, with the center of mass of the lead aircraft as the origin, the direction pointing to the nose of the aircraft is the positive Y-axis, and the direction perpendicular to the Y-axis and pointing to the right side of the lead aircraft body is the positive X-axis. Establish formation principles: Based on the formation coordinate system, for the several unit squads required for the target formation, establish the position allocation and flight control principles for multiple squads and multiple aircraft, namely: among all the unit squads participating in the formation, select the lead aircraft of one unit squad as the main lead aircraft, and the lead aircraft of the remaining unit squads as the co-lead aircraft; each lead aircraft is responsible for the position allocation of its wingmen in its own unit squad in its own formation coordinate system, and the main lead aircraft is responsible for the position allocation of all co-lead aircraft in its own formation coordinate system; Setting formation change principles: Based on the combined formation principle, the formation reconstruction principle is set, that is, the position allocation and flight control principle of multiple teams and multiple aircraft is followed, and the switching between different formations is carried out while ensuring the safe distance between drones; among them, the drone roles include lead aircraft and wingmen, and each unit squad includes one lead aircraft and several wingmen; Pre-flight preparation: Integrating the principles of squad formation, combined formation, and formation change, and based on the target formation, the flight paths of all participating UAVs are planned and set up separately. The set flight paths include normal flight paths, assembly flight paths, and disbandment flight paths. Formation control: When the UAV meets the takeoff conditions, commands are sent through the ground station to control the UAVs participating in the formation, including normal flight, formation flight and landing flight, based on the set flight path.

2. The UAV formation control method as described in claim 1, characterized in that: In the process of setting the squad formation principle, the drone will be assigned a unique number. , indicating the first The first in the unit squad Taiwanese drones; when At that time, it was indicated that the drone was the lead aircraft. At that time, it was indicated that the drone was a wingman.

3. The UAV formation control method as described in claim 1, characterized in that: The process of setting squad formation principles also includes determining the smallest unit, the squad, that is, letting Indicates the number of drones participating in the formation, when When it is an integer, Taiwanese drones are classified as A squad, the smallest unit consisting of a lead aircraft and a wingman; when When it is a non-integer, Taiwan drone team The smallest unit is a squad consisting of a lead aircraft and a wingman, and the smallest unit is a squad consisting of a lead aircraft.

4. The method for controlling the formation of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) as described in claim 1, characterized in that, In the process of setting the formation change principle, the formation reconstruction principle is achieved by the ground station sending a formation change command to the master unit. The master unit determines the drone numbers that need to change positions based on the distribution differences between the current formation and the formation to be switched, and controls the corresponding drone positions to change accordingly. Specifically: If the drone that needs to change position is a wingman in the same unit's squad as the lead drone, then the lead drone will assign a new position to the drone. If the drone that needs to change position is the co-lead drone, then the lead drone will assign a new position to the drone. If the drone that needs to change position is a wingman in the unit squad of the deputy leader drone, the leader drone sends a position change command to the deputy leader drone in the unit squad of the drone according to the formation to be changed, and the deputy leader drone then assigns a new position to the drone.

5. The method for controlling the formation of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The formation control includes the following steps: S1 controls all drones to take off in sequence; S2, the drone performs a solo flight mission, flying along a normal flight path; S3, determine whether the lead aircraft has received the formation command; if not, proceed to step S4, if yes, proceed to step S5; S4. Determine whether the lead aircraft has received a landing instruction; if yes, proceed directly to step S12; otherwise, return to step S2. S5, the lead aircraft sends position coordinate information to its wingmen in its own unit squad and / or the co-lead aircraft in other unit squads according to the target formation. The co-lead aircraft sends position coordinate information to its wingmen in its own unit squad, so that all co-lead aircraft and wingmen fly along the assembly route to the designated position with the corresponding position coordinate information. S6 uses a formation-keeping controller to keep all drones stationary in a designated location. S7. Determine whether the lead aircraft has received a formation change instruction; if yes, return to step S5 according to the target formation to be changed; if no, proceed to step S8. S8. Determine whether the lead aircraft has received the formation disbanding command; if yes, proceed to step S9; if no, return to step S6. S9, the unlanded drones hovered and waited on the disbanding route; S10, determine whether the lead aircraft that has not landed has received the formation command; if yes, return to step S5; if no, proceed to step S11. S11, determine whether the lead aircraft has received a landing instruction; if yes, proceed to step S12; otherwise, return to step S9. S12, based on a single unit squad, the lead aircraft sends landing instructions to the corresponding wingman; S13, the wingman determines whether a landing instruction has been received; if yes, proceed to step S14; otherwise, return to step S12. S14, Upon receiving the landing instruction, the wingman invokes the landing procedure and lands along the normal flight path; S15, Have all the wingmen in the current unit squad landed? If yes, proceed to step S16; otherwise, return to step S12. S16, the lead aircraft invokes the landing procedure and lands along the normal flight path; S17, determine whether all the lead aircraft have landed; if not, return to step S12; if yes, the UAV flight control mission ends.

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