Formation control method, device and equipment for distributed vertical fixed-wing unmanned aerial vehicle cluster and storage medium

Abstract

The embodiment of the invention discloses a formation control method, device and equipment for a distributed vertical fixed-wing unmanned aerial vehicle cluster and a storage medium, and relates to the technical field of unmanned aerial vehicle formation control. The method comprises the following steps: receiving topological position information of a formation, and determining a planned path; determining a first flight speed according to the current position information and the expected position information in the planned path; determining a second flight speed according to the current position information, the expected position information and topological position information in the formation; determining a third flight speed according to the current position information and the position relationship with other unmanned aerial vehicles in the formation; calculating a target flight speed based on the first flight speed, the second flight speed and the third flight speed; according to the target flight speed, the formation is controlled, and the stability and safety of the vertical fixed-wing unmanned aerial vehicle cluster formation are effectively guaranteed.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present application relates to the technical field of UAV formation control, and in particular to a formation control method, device, equipment and storage medium for a distributed vertical take-off fixed-wing UAV cluster. Background Art

[0002] Vertical take-off fixed-wing drones can take off and land in a smaller range, and have the ability to hover at a fixed point to monitor the target point and have long-term endurance.

[0003] Currently, when a cluster of multiple vertical take-off fixed-wing drones performs flight missions, the formation may be disrupted and the drones may collide with each other, making it impossible to maintain the formation.

[0004] Therefore, how to ensure the stability and safety of the formation of multiple vertical take-off fixed-wing UAVs has become a technical problem that needs to be solved urgently. Summary of the invention

[0005] The embodiments of this specification provide a formation control method for a distributed vertical take-off fixed-wing UAV cluster to solve the problem in the prior art that the stability and safety of the formation of multiple vertical take-off fixed-wing UAVs cannot be guaranteed.

[0006] To solve the above technical problems, the embodiments of this specification are implemented as follows:

[0007] In a first aspect, a formation control method for a distributed vertical fixed-wing UAV cluster provided in an embodiment of this specification is applied to any UAV in a vertical fixed-wing UAV cluster, including:

[0008] Receive topological position information of the formation and determine the planned path;

[0009] determining a first flight speed according to current position information and expected position information in the planned path;

[0010] determining a second flight speed according to the current position information, the expected position information, and the topological position information in the formation;

[0011] Determining a third flight speed according to the current position information and a positional relationship with other UAVs in the formation;

[0012] calculating a target flight speed based on the first flight speed, the second flight speed, and the third flight speed;

[0013] The formation is controlled according to the target flight speed.

[0014] In a second aspect, a distributed vertical fixed-wing UAV cluster formation control device provided in an embodiment of this specification is applied to any UAV in a vertical fixed-wing UAV cluster, including:

[0015] A planning path determination module is used to receive the topological position information of the formation and determine the planning path;

[0016] A first flight speed determination module, used to determine a first flight speed according to current position information and expected position information in the planned path;

[0017] A second flight speed determination module, configured to determine a second flight speed according to the current position information, the expected position information, and the topological position information in the formation;

[0018] A third flight speed determination module, configured to determine a third flight speed according to the current position information and a position relationship with other UAVs in the formation;

[0019] a target flight speed determination module, configured to calculate a target flight speed based on the first flight speed, the second flight speed and the third flight speed;

[0020] A control module is used to control the formation according to the target flight speed.

[0021] In the third aspect, an embodiment of the present specification provides a formation control device for a distributed vertical take-off fixed-wing UAV cluster, comprising a memory, a processor, and a computer program stored on the memory, wherein the processor executes the computer program to implement the formation control method for the distributed vertical take-off fixed-wing UAV cluster in scheme one.

[0022] In a fourth aspect, an embodiment of the present specification provides a computer-readable storage medium on which a computer program is stored. When the computer program is executed by a processor, the formation control method of the distributed vertical take-off fixed-wing UAV cluster in scheme one is implemented.

[0023] An embodiment of the present specification achieves the following beneficial effects: the target flight speed of each vertical fixed-wing UAV is calculated by a first flight speed that conforms to the planned path, a second flight speed that controls the formation, and a third flight speed that prevents collisions. The stability and safety of the formation of a cluster of vertical fixed-wing UAVs are effectively guaranteed by comprehensively considering the path planning control speed, the formation control speed, and the collision avoidance control speed. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0024] In order to more clearly illustrate the embodiments of this specification or the technical solutions in the prior art, the drawings required for use in the embodiments or the description of the prior art will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments recorded in this application. For ordinary technicians in this field, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without paying creative labor.

[0025] Figure 1 A schematic diagram of a flow chart of a formation control method for a distributed vertical take-off fixed-wing UAV cluster provided in an embodiment of this specification;

[0026] Figure 2 A schematic diagram of a virtual center planning path trajectory provided in an embodiment of this specification;

[0027] Figure 3 A schematic diagram of a planned path for three vertical take-off fixed-wing drones in a triangular formation to perform a mission provided in an embodiment of this specification;

[0028] Figure 4 A schematic diagram of an impulse function for UAV collision avoidance provided in an embodiment of this specification;

[0029] Figure 5 An application scenario of a distributed vertical take-off fixed-wing UAV cluster formation control method provided in an embodiment of this specification is intended to illustrate the intention;

[0030] Figure 6 A schematic diagram of an application scenario of a formation control method for three vertical take-off fixed-wing UAVs provided in an embodiment of this specification;

[0031] Figure 7 A schematic diagram of a formation error curve between every two vertical take-off fixed-wing UAVs provided in the embodiments of this specification;

[0032] Figure 8 A schematic diagram of another application scenario of the formation control method for three vertical take-off fixed-wing UAVs provided in an embodiment of this specification;

[0033] Fig. 9 A schematic diagram of a relative distance curve between every two vertical take-off fixed-wing UAVs provided in the embodiments of this specification;

[0034] Fig.10 A structural schematic diagram of a formation control device for a distributed vertical take-off fixed-wing UAV cluster provided in an embodiment of this specification;

[0035] Fig.11 A schematic diagram of the structure of a distributed vertical take-off fixed-wing UAV cluster formation control device provided in an embodiment of this specification. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0036] In order to make the purpose, technical solutions and advantages of one or more embodiments of this specification clearer, the technical solutions of one or more embodiments of this specification will be clearly and completely described below in combination with the specific embodiments of this specification and the corresponding drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only part of the embodiments of this specification, not all of the embodiments. Based on the embodiments in this specification, all other embodiments obtained by ordinary technicians in this field without creative work are within the scope of protection of one or more embodiments of this specification.

[0037] The technical solutions provided by the embodiments of this specification are described in detail below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

[0038] A formation control method for a distributed vertical take-off fixed-wing UAV cluster provided in an embodiment of the specification is specifically described in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

[0039] Figure 1 A flow chart of a distributed vertical take-off fixed-wing UAV cluster formation control method provided in an embodiment of this specification. From a program perspective, the execution subject of the process can be a program or application client installed on an application server. On the other hand, from a hardware perspective, the execution subject of the process can be a terminal device, and the execution subject can be installed on a UAV.

[0040] like Figure 1 As shown, the process can be applied to any UAV in a vertical take-off fixed-wing UAV cluster and may include the following steps:

[0041] Step 110: Receive topological position information of the formation and determine the planned path.

[0042] In the embodiments of this specification, when the drones are performing flight missions, in order to effectively cover the entire reconnaissance area, multiple drones are required to fly in a set formation.

[0043] According to the spatial arrangement formed by individual drones when flying in formation, the position of each individual and the relative position relationship between them are clarified, and an optimal path from the current position to the target position is planned for each drone.

[0044] Step 120: Determine a first flight speed based on the current position information and the expected position information in the planned path.

[0045] In the embodiments of this specification, the current position information may include the current coordinates (longitude, latitude, altitude, etc.), speed, attitude, etc. of the drone, and the expected position information may be the position information of the next or a series of target points that the drone needs to reach in the planned path.

[0046] The first flight velocity vector v 1,i =k1(p i,d -p i ), where p i is the current position, p i,d is the desired position, and k1 is the control parameter. The first flight speed is used to adjust the attitude or thrust of the drone to achieve stable flight according to the planned path.

[0047] In practical applications, the location information of the drone can be obtained through sensors such as radar, lidar, and cameras.

[0048] Step 130: Determine a second flight speed based on the current position information, the expected position information, and the topological position information in the formation.

[0049] In the embodiments of this specification, a basic flight speed is preliminarily calculated based on the current position information and the expected position information, and the flight speed is adjusted to maintain the formation according to the topological position information in the formation. For example, if the UAV is at the front of the formation, it may need to slightly increase the flight speed to lead other UAVs; if it is at the back, it may need to slow down to keep the relative position unchanged.

[0050] The second flight speed can ensure the relative position of the UAV in the formation and maintain the formation.

[0051] In actual applications, during the flight, the flight speed is dynamically adjusted according to the real-time position information and formation status to ensure coordinated flight between UAVs. When adjusting the flight speed, the position and speed of other UAVs are taken into consideration to maintain the stability and consistency of the formation.

[0052] Step 140: Determine a third flight speed based on the current position information and the position relationship with other UAVs in the formation.

[0053] In the embodiments of this specification, it is necessary to comprehensively consider the current position information of the UAV and its positional relationship with other UAVs in the formation to ensure that the UAV avoids collision with other UAVs or obstacles while maintaining the formation.

[0054] The third flight speed can ensure safety during flight and avoid collisions with other drones.

[0055] When adjusting the flight speed, you also need to consider the performance limitations of the drone, such as maximum speed, acceleration capabilities, etc., to ensure that the drone can fly stably and safely.

[0056] Step 150: Calculate a target flight speed based on the first flight speed, the second flight speed and the third flight speed.

[0057] Step 160: Control the formation according to the target flight speed.

[0058] In the embodiments of this specification, the first flight speed, the second flight speed and the third flight speed are comprehensively considered to ensure that the flight process not only meets the requirements of the planned path and formation flight, but also avoids collisions, thereby ensuring the safety of the flight. The target flight speed comprehensively considers multiple factors to ensure that the flight process is both safe and efficient.

[0059] During the flight, the position, speed, heading and other parameters of the drone, as well as the stability of the formation, can be monitored in real time. Based on the real-time monitoring data and the changes in the target flight speed, the control parameters of the drone are dynamically adjusted to maintain the stability and consistency of the formation. The formation is effectively controlled according to the target flight speed to ensure the safety and stability of the flight process.

[0060] It should be understood that the order of some steps in the methods described in one or more embodiments of this specification can be interchanged according to actual needs, or some steps can be omitted or deleted.

[0061] In the embodiments of the present specification, the target flight speed of each vertical fixed-wing UAV is calculated by using a first flight speed that conforms to the planned path, a second flight speed that controls the formation, and a third flight speed for preventing collisions. By comprehensively considering the path planning control speed, the formation control speed, and the collision avoidance control speed, the stability and safety of the vertical fixed-wing UAV cluster formation are effectively guaranteed. At the same time, unified control and scheduling of the UAVs can also be achieved, thereby improving the adaptability and efficiency of formation flight.

[0062] based on Figure 1 The method in this specification also provides some specific implementation plans of the method, which are described below.

[0063] Optionally, the receiving of the topological position information of the formation and determining the planned path in the embodiments of this specification may specifically include:

[0064] Receive the waypoint location information within the preset flight range, and obtain the virtual center planning path based on the path planning algorithm;

[0065] Determine, based on the topological position information in the formation, position difference information with respect to the planned path of the virtual center;

[0066] The planned path is obtained according to the position difference information and based on the path planning algorithm.

[0067] Figure 2 A schematic diagram of a virtual center planning path trajectory provided in an embodiment of this specification.

[0068] In the embodiment of this specification, according to the task requirements, the waypoint information of the vertical fixed-wing UAV during the task is obtained, for example, the waypoint information is P0, P1, P2, ..., P n , the path planning algorithm can be a B-spline curve, such as Figure 2 As shown, with waypoint P i (i=0,1,…,n) is used as the control point of the B-spline curve basis function to generate a virtual center smooth path with continuous curvature. As the virtual center planning path, the basis function of the third-order spline curve is:

[0069] Among them, u is the control parameter, N i,3 (u) is the basis function of the ith third-order B-spline curve, and the control point P i correspond.

[0070] Waypoint P i To P i+3 The third-order B-spline curve segment P between i,i+3 (u) is expressed as:

[0071] P i,i+3 (u) = P i N 0,3 (u)+P i+1 N 1,3 (u)+P i+2 N 2,3 (u)+P i+3 N 3,3 (u).

[0072] Figure 3 A schematic diagram of the planned path for three vertical take-off fixed-wing drones in a triangle formation to perform a mission provided in an embodiment of this specification.

[0073] like Figure 3 As shown in the figure, the position difference information of each UAV relative to the virtual center planning path is obtained, and the relative position difference vector is mapped to the ground coordinate system, and the B-spline curve is used again to plan a smooth single-machine trajectory for each UAV.

[0074] Specifically, the position difference information δ of each UAV relative to the virtual center planning path is obtained i =[δ i,x δ i,y ] T , where T is the transpose of the matrix.

[0075] The position difference vector is mapped to the ground coordinate system for comparison and adjustment with the position information of the UAV. The heading angle θ(t) of the virtual center planning path is

[0076] θ(t)=atan2(P c,y (t),P c,x (t)), where P c (t) = [x c (t+1)-x c (t)y c (t+1)-y c (t)] T is the position change vector of the virtual center planning path at time t, P c,x (t) and P c,y (t) are P c (t) The component in the two-dimensional plane, the rotation matrix is ​​used to transform the relative position vector relative to the formation center trajectory into the ground coordinate system.

[0077] The rotation matrix is ​​constructed as follows:

[0078] Through the rotation matrix Get the transformed position vector Among them, δ i,x and δ i,y They are δ i The component in the two-dimensional plane, is the rotation matrix.

[0079] Again, we use the third-order B-spline curve to convert δ i As the control point of each vertical take-off fixed-wing UAV trajectory, a smooth trajectory curve is generated to ensure that each UAV flies along a smooth path.

[0080] Optionally, in the embodiments of this specification, determining the second flight speed according to the current position information, the expected position information, and the topological position information in the formation may specifically include:

[0081] Determining actual relative position information based on the current position information and current position information of other UAVs in the formation;

[0082] Determine expected relative position information according to the expected position information, expected position information of other UAVs in the formation, and topological position information in the formation;

[0083] The second flight speed is determined according to the actual relative position information and the expected relative position information based on a consistency protocol.

[0084] In the embodiments of this specification, the formation control speed is designed for each UAV through consistency theory.

[0085] Specifically, the heading angle of the planned path based on the virtual center is also used to calculate the rotation matrix. The role of the rotation matrix is ​​to transform the expected position error vector into the ground coordinate system, and the transformed position vector is obtained through the rotation matrix.

[0086] For example, the actual relative position vector of the i-th UAV and the j-th UAV is and the expected relative position vector is but Among them, p i is the actual position vector of the i-th UAV; p j is the actual position vector of the jth UAV; is the expected position vector of the i-th UAV; is the expected position vector of the jth UAV; is a rotation matrix used to transform the relative position vector of the planned path relative to the virtual center into the drone body coordinate system.

[0087] The second flight velocity vector is calculated based on the consistency protocol. For each drone i, the vector difference between its actual relative position and the expected relative position with other drones is calculated and added to v 2,i The second flight velocity vector v 2,i , which can be expressed as: Among them, k2 is the proportional coefficient, N is the number of drones in the formation, is the vector difference between the actual relative position of the i-th UAV relative to other UAVs j and the expected relative position.

[0088] Optionally, in the embodiments of this specification, determining the third flight speed according to the current position information and the position relationship with other UAVs in the formation may specifically include:

[0089] Determine the relative distance between two adjacent drones according to the current position information, the current position information of other drones in the formation, and the position relationship with other drones in the formation;

[0090] The third flight speed is determined according to the relative distance based on an obstacle function.

[0091] In the embodiment of this specification, it is necessary to comprehensively consider the position information of the current UAV, the current position information of other UAVs in the formation, and the position relationship between them to determine the third flight speed.

[0092] Adjacent means that there are no other drones between two drones. The obstacle function is a distance-related function used to quantify the proximity between a drone and other drones. Use GPS or other positioning technologies to obtain the precise location information of the current drone, and at the same time obtain the current location information of all other drones in the formation. According to the design of the formation, determine the adjacent drones of the current drone in the formation, use the relative distance and obstacle function to calculate the obstacle value between the current drone and each adjacent drone, and adjust the speed of the drone.

[0093] Further, optionally, in the embodiment of this specification, the preset anti-collision threshold includes a danger threshold and a safety threshold, the danger threshold is less than the safety threshold, and the determining the third flight speed according to the relative distance and based on the obstacle function may specifically include:

[0094] Comparing the relative distance with the danger threshold and the safety threshold to determine an impulse function;

[0095] The third flight speed is determined according to the impulse function based on an obstacle function.

[0096] In the embodiment of the present specification, the preset anti-collision threshold may be a minimum safety distance preset according to factors such as the performance of the drone, the flight environment, and safety standards, and is used to determine whether the drone is at potential risk of collision.

[0097] Based on the obstacle function, avoid the collision between the i-th UAV and the j-th UAV, and prevent the third flight speed vector of UAV collision Among them, k3 is the proportional coefficient, σ is a continuously differentiable impulse function, which can be expressed as

[0098]

[0099] d1 is the danger threshold, d2 is the safety threshold, and x is the relative distance between two adjacent drones.

[0100] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of an impulse function for UAV collision prevention provided in an embodiment of this specification. Figure 4 As shown in the figure, when the relative distance between two adjacent UAVs is less than the danger threshold d1, the value of the impulse function is 1, indicating that the distance is too close and compulsory measures need to be taken to avoid collision; when the relative distance exceeds the safety threshold d2, the value of the impulse function is 0, indicating that the distance is far enough and no additional measures are needed; when the relative distance is between d1 and d2, the impulse function adopts a piecewise polynomial form to ensure the continuity and smoothness of the impulse function in this interval.

[0101] Optionally, the calculation of the target flight speed based on the first flight speed, the second flight speed and the third flight speed in the embodiments of this specification may specifically include:

[0102] comparing the second flight speed with a formation control speed threshold to determine a second target flight speed;

[0103] Comparing the third flight speed with the anti-collision control speed threshold to determine a third target flight speed;

[0104] The target flight speed is calculated based on the first flight speed, the second target flight speed, and the third target flight speed.

[0105] In the embodiment of this specification, the target flight speed u is composed of the first flight speed (trajectory control amount) v 1,i , Second flight speed (formation control amount) v 2,i And the third flight speed (anti-collision control amount) v 3,i Target flight speed u = v 1,i +sat(sat(v 2,i ,v a,i )+v 3,i ,v b,i ),in,

[0106]

[0107] Among them, v a,i is the formation control threshold of the i-th UAV, v a,i >0, v b,i is the anti-collision control speed threshold of the i-th UAV, v b,i >0, after saturation, ||v 2,i ||≤v a,i ,||sat(v 2,i ,v a,i )+v 3,i ||≤v b,i It always holds true. The saturation function does not change the direction of the vector, but only limits the size of the vector's second norm.

[0108] Optionally, in the embodiments of this specification, controlling the formation according to the target flight speed may specifically include:

[0109] Calculate the unit vector of the target flight speed to obtain the current flight speed;

[0110] Calculate the flight speed at the last moment based on the current yaw angle information;

[0111] Calculating the yaw angle at the next moment according to the current flight speed and the flight speed at the previous moment;

[0112] The formation is controlled according to the target flight speed and the yaw angle at the next moment.

[0113] In the embodiment of this specification, the current flight speed vector v is calculated from the target flight speed u. now =u / ||u||, get the current yaw angle ψ of the drone n , calculate the flight speed vector v of the drone at the last moment last =[cos(ψ)sin(ψ)] T , according to the current flight speed and the flight speed at the previous moment, calculate the yaw angle at the next moment, the yaw angle at the next moment ψ d It can be expressed as:

[0114] ψ d =ψ n +Δψ d , Among them, Δψ d is the yaw angle control increment, v last ×v now Represents the cross product of two vectors.

[0115] In practical applications, based on the kinematic relationship of the formation, the kinematic model of the UAV during formation flight can be expressed as: in, For x i The first derivative of for y i The first derivative of is i The first derivative of i y i ] T is the location information of the drone, v i is the flight speed information of the UAV, ψ i is the yaw angle of the drone, w i Indicates the yaw rate of the drone. Considering the safety of vertical fixed-wing drones, it is necessary to set the following restrictions on the flight speed and yaw rate of the drone: where v min,i is the minimum flight speed, v max,i is the maximum flight speed, w max,i is the maximum yaw angular velocity.

[0116] Figure 5 An application scenario of a formation control method for a distributed vertical take-off fixed-wing UAV cluster provided in an embodiment of this specification is intended to illustrate the intention.

[0117] In actual applications, when a drone performs a flight mission, Figure 5 As shown, the mission planning (waypoint information, topological position information, preset anti-collision threshold, formation ID, etc.) and limiting factors (flight speed limit, yaw angular velocity limit) are input into the UAV.

[0118] Step 501: Obtaining waypoint location information;

[0119] Step 502: Generate a virtual center planning path and a planning path for each drone;

[0120] Step 503: determining whether the UAV is flying along the planned path, if so, executing step 504, if not, adjusting the UAV according to the first flight speed, and executing step 504 after adjustment;

[0121] Step 504: determining whether the UAV is flying in a formation, if so, executing step 505, if not, adjusting the UAV according to the second flight speed, and executing step 505 after adjustment;

[0122] Step 505: determine whether the relative distance between two adjacent UAVs is less than the danger threshold, if so, execute step 506, if not, adjust the UAV according to the third flight speed, and execute step 506 after adjustment;

[0123] Step 506: Determine whether the drone has reached the last waypoint. If yes, execute step 507. If no, return to execute step 503.

[0124] Step 507: End the task.

[0125] In actual applications, each drone in the formation can collaboratively process tasks on different computing nodes, achieve information sharing and synchronization, thereby better adapting to complex and changing environments and mission requirements, and improving the robustness and scalability of the system.

[0126] Figure 6 A schematic diagram of an application scenario of the formation control method for three vertical take-off fixed-wing UAVs provided in an embodiment of this specification.

[0127] In practical applications, such as Figure 6 As shown in the figure, in the initial state, three vertical take-off fixed-wing drones form a triangle formation and fly along an "L"-shaped route, setting the initial waypoint P i(i=1,2,…,5) is [0,0], [0,100], [100,100], [200,100], [300,100]. According to the waypoint position information, the smooth virtual center planning path can be obtained using the B-spline curve. The position difference vectors of the three UAVs (No. 1, No. 2, No. 3) relative to the virtual center planning path are: [30,0], [0,-30], [0,30]. The planned path of each UAV is obtained through the position difference vector. By setting the control parameters k1=1, k2=3, k3=100, the target flight speed of the UAV can be obtained.

[0128] During the flight, at the turning point of the route, the formation will be disrupted due to the difference in length of the inner and outer trajectories. According to the target flight speed, the UAVs can still maintain the formation for a certain period of time after the formation is reconstructed at the turning point.

[0129] Figure 7 A schematic diagram of a formation error curve between two vertical take-off fixed-wing UAVs provided in the embodiments of this specification. Figure 7 It can be seen that when the formation of the three drones is disrupted at the turn, the drones can quickly restore the expected formation and keep the error between the actual distance and the expected distance of the formation within a very small range.

[0130] Figure 8 A schematic diagram of another application scenario of the formation control method for three vertical take-off fixed-wing UAVs provided in an embodiment of this specification.

[0131] In actual application, three vertical take-off fixed-wing UAVs fly in a "one" formation, the relative distance between every two UAVs is d = 12m, the danger threshold d1 = 15m, and the safety threshold d2 = 20m. Figure 8 As shown in the figure, when the relative distance between the UAVs is less than d1, if the anti-collision algorithm is not intervened, the distance d between the UAVs will be maintained. At this time, the distance between the UAVs is too close, which will increase the risk of collision.

[0132] According to the target flight speed, the relative distance between every two UAVs will be maintained between d1 and d2.

[0133] Fig. 9 A schematic diagram of a relative distance curve between every two vertical take-off fixed-wing UAVs provided in an embodiment of this specification.

[0134] from Fig. 9It can be seen that although the relative distance between UAVs 1 and 2 is set to 12m, due to the intervention of the obstacle function, the actual distance between the two UAVs is still maintained at around the expected distance threshold of 20m; the same is true between UAVs 2 and 3; and since the relative distance between UAVs 1 and 3 is greater than the safety threshold d2, they maintain the expected formation flight.

[0135] Fig.10 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a distributed vertical take-off fixed-wing UAV cluster formation control device proposed in an embodiment of this specification.

[0136] Corresponding to the aforementioned method embodiment, the formation control device of the distributed vertical take-off fixed-wing UAV cluster recorded in the embodiment of this specification may include:

[0137] The planning path determination module 1002 is used to receive the topological position information of the formation and determine the planning path;

[0138] A first flight speed determination module 1004, configured to determine a first flight speed according to current position information and expected position information in the planned path;

[0139] A second flight speed determination module 1006 is used to determine a second flight speed according to the current position information, the expected position information and the topological position information in the formation;

[0140] A third flight speed determination module 1008, configured to determine a third flight speed according to the current position information and the position relationship with other UAVs in the formation;

[0141] a target flight speed determination module 1010, configured to calculate a target flight speed based on the first flight speed, the second flight speed and the third flight speed;

[0142] The control module 1012 is used to control the formation according to the target flight speed.

[0143] In the embodiments of the present specification, the target flight speed of each vertical fixed-wing UAV is calculated by using a first flight speed that conforms to the planned path, a second flight speed that controls the formation, and a third flight speed for preventing collisions. By comprehensively considering the path planning control speed, the formation control speed, and the collision avoidance control speed, the stability and safety of the vertical fixed-wing UAV cluster formation are effectively guaranteed. At the same time, unified control and scheduling of the UAVs can also be achieved, thereby improving the adaptability and efficiency of formation flight.

[0144] Based on the same idea as the aforementioned method embodiment, the embodiments of this specification also provide a device corresponding to the aforementioned method.

[0145] Fig.11 The following is a schematic diagram of a distributed vertical take-off fixed-wing UAV cluster formation control device provided in the embodiments of this specification. Fig.11 As shown, an embodiment of the present specification provides a formation control device for a distributed vertical take-off fixed-wing UAV cluster, comprising a memory 1130, a processor 1110, and a computer program 1120 stored in the memory, wherein the processor 1110 executes the computer program 1120 to implement the formation control method for a distributed vertical take-off fixed-wing UAV cluster described in any of the above embodiments.

[0146] A formation control device for a distributed vertical take-off fixed-wing UAV cluster provided in an embodiment of the present specification may include a memory, a processor, and a computer program stored in the memory. The processor executes the computer program to implement the formation control method for a distributed vertical take-off fixed-wing UAV cluster described in any of the above embodiments.

[0147] An embodiment of this specification provides a computer-readable storage medium on which a computer program is stored. When the computer program is executed by a processor, the formation control method of a distributed vertical take-off fixed-wing UAV cluster described in any of the above embodiments can be implemented.

[0148] Each embodiment in this specification is described in a progressive manner. The same or similar parts between the embodiments can be referred to each other. Each embodiment focuses on the differences from other embodiments. Fig.11 As for the device shown, since it is basically similar to the method embodiment, the description is relatively simple, and the relevant parts can be referred to the partial description of the method embodiment.

[0149] In the 1990s, improvements to a technology could be clearly distinguished as hardware improvements (for example, improvements to the circuit structure of diodes, transistors, switches, etc.) or software improvements (improvements to the method flow). However, with the development of technology, many improvements to the method flow today can be regarded as direct improvements to the hardware circuit structure. Designers almost always obtain the corresponding hardware circuit structure by programming the improved method flow into the hardware circuit. Therefore, it cannot be said that an improvement in a method flow cannot be implemented using a hardware entity module. For example, a programmable logic device (PLD) (such as a field programmable gate array (FPGA)) is such an integrated circuit whose logical function is determined by the user's programming of the device. Designers can "integrate" a digital system on a PLD by programming it themselves, without having to ask a chip manufacturer to design and produce a dedicated integrated circuit chip. Moreover, nowadays, instead of manually making integrated circuit chips, this kind of programming is mostly implemented by "logic compiler" software, which is similar to the software compiler used when developing and writing programs, and the original code before compilation must also be written in a specific programming language, which is called hardware description language (HDL). There is not only one HDL, but many kinds, such as ABEL (Advanced Boolean Expression Language), AHDL (Altera Hardware Description Language), Confluence, CUPL (Cornell University Programming Language), HDCal, JHDL (Java Hardware Description Language), Lava, Lola, MyHDL, PALASM, RHDL (Ruby Hardware Description Language), etc. The most commonly used ones are VHDL (Very-High-Speed ​​Integrated Circuit Hardware Description Language) and Verilog. Those skilled in the art should also know that it is only necessary to program the method flow slightly in the above-mentioned hardware description languages ​​and program it into the integrated circuit, and then it is easy to obtain the hardware circuit that implements the logic method flow.

[0150] The controller can be implemented in any appropriate manner, for example, the controller can take the form of a microprocessor or processor and a computer-readable medium storing a computer-readable program code (such as software or firmware) that can be executed by the (micro)processor, a logic gate, a switch, an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a programmable logic controller, and an embedded microcontroller. Examples of controllers include, but are not limited to, the following microcontrollers: ARC 625D, Atmel AT91SAM, Microchip PIC18F26K20, and Silicone Labs C8051F320. The memory controller can also be implemented as part of the control logic of the memory. Those skilled in the art also know that in addition to implementing the controller in a purely computer-readable program code manner, the controller can be implemented in the form of a logic gate, a switch, an application-specific integrated circuit, a programmable logic controller, and an embedded microcontroller by logically programming the method steps. Therefore, this controller can be considered as a hardware component, and the devices included therein for implementing various functions can also be regarded as structures within the hardware component. Or even, the devices for implementing various functions can be regarded as both software modules for implementing the method and structures within the hardware component.

[0151] The systems, devices, modules or units described in the above embodiments may be implemented by computer chips or entities, or by products with certain functions. A typical implementation device is a computer. Specifically, the computer may be, for example, a personal computer, a laptop computer, a cellular phone, a camera phone, a smart phone, a personal digital assistant, a media player, a navigation device, an email device, a game console, a tablet computer, a wearable device, or a combination of any of these devices.

[0152] For the convenience of description, the above device is described in various units according to their functions. Of course, when implementing the present application, the functions of each unit can be implemented in the same or multiple software and / or hardware.

[0153] Those skilled in the art will appreciate that embodiments of the present invention may be provided as methods, systems, or computer program products. Therefore, the present invention may take the form of a complete hardware embodiment, a complete software embodiment, or an embodiment combining software and hardware. Moreover, the present invention may take the form of a computer program product implemented on one or more computer-usable storage media (including but not limited to disk storage, CD-ROM, optical storage, etc.) containing computer-usable program code.

[0154] The present invention is described with reference to flowcharts and / or block diagrams of methods, devices (systems), and computer program products according to embodiments of the present invention. It should be understood that each process and / or block in the flowchart and / or block diagram, as well as the combination of processes and / or blocks in the flowchart and / or block diagram, can be implemented by computer program instructions. These computer program instructions can be provided to a processor of a general-purpose computer, a special-purpose computer, an embedded processor, or other programmable data processing device to produce a machine, so that the instructions executed by the processor of the computer or other programmable data processing device generate instructions for implementing the processes in the flowchart and / or block diagram. Figure 1 A process or multiple processes and / or boxes Figure 1 A device that provides the functions specified in a block or multiple blocks.

[0155] These computer program instructions may also be stored in a computer-readable memory capable of directing a computer or other programmable data processing device to operate in a specific manner, so that the instructions stored in the computer-readable memory produce an article of manufacture comprising an instruction device, which implements the process Figure 1 A process or multiple processes and / or boxes Figure 1 A function specified in one or more boxes.

[0156] These computer program instructions can also be loaded onto a computer or other programmable data processing device so that a series of operating steps are executed on the computer or other programmable device to produce a computer-implemented process, thereby providing instructions for implementing the process. Figure 1 A process or multiple processes and / or boxes Figure 1 The steps for the functions specified in one or more boxes.

[0157] In a typical configuration, a computing device includes one or more processors (CPU), input / output interfaces, network interfaces, and memory.

[0158] The memory may include non-permanent storage in a computer-readable medium, random access memory (RAM) and / or non-volatile memory in the form of read-only memory (ROM) or flash RAM. The memory is an example of a computer-readable medium.

[0159] Computer readable media include permanent and non-permanent, removable and non-removable media that can be implemented by any method or technology to store information. Information can be computer readable instructions, data structures, program modules or other data. Examples of computer storage media include, but are not limited to, phase change memory (PRAM), static random access memory (SRAM), dynamic random access memory (DRAM), other types of random access memory (RAM), read-only memory (ROM), electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), flash memory or other memory technology, compact disk read-only memory (CD-ROM), digital versatile disk (DVD) or other optical storage, magnetic cassettes, magnetic tape disk storage or other magnetic storage devices or any other non-transmission media that can be used to store information that can be accessed by a computing device. As defined herein, computer readable media does not include temporary computer readable media (transitory media), such as modulated data signals and carrier waves.

[0160] It should also be noted that the terms "include", "comprises" or any other variations thereof are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusion, so that a process, method, commodity or device including a series of elements includes not only those elements, but also other elements not explicitly listed, or also includes elements inherent to such process, method, commodity or device. In the absence of more restrictions, the elements defined by the sentence "comprises a ..." do not exclude the existence of other identical elements in the process, method, commodity or device including the elements.

[0161] Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the embodiments of the present application may be provided as methods, systems or computer program products. Therefore, the present application may adopt the form of a complete hardware embodiment, a complete software embodiment or an embodiment in combination with software and hardware. Moreover, the present application may adopt the form of a computer program product implemented on one or more computer-usable storage media (including but not limited to disk storage, CD-ROM, optical storage, etc.) that contain computer-usable program code.

[0162] The present application may be described in the general context of computer-executable instructions executed by a computer, such as program modules. Generally, program modules include routines, programs, objects, components, data structures, etc. that perform specific tasks or implement specific abstract data types. The present application may also be practiced in distributed computing environments where tasks are performed by remote processing devices connected through a communication network. In a distributed computing environment, program modules may be located in local and remote computer storage media, including storage devices.

[0163] The above is only an embodiment of the present application and is not intended to limit the present application. For those skilled in the art, the present application may have various changes and variations. Any modification, equivalent replacement, improvement, etc. made within the spirit and principle of the present application should be included in the scope of the claims of the present application.

Claims

1. A formation control method for a distributed vertical take-off fixed-wing UAV cluster, characterized in that: Applied to any UAV in a vertical take-off fixed-wing UAV cluster, the method comprises: Receive the topological position information of the formation and determine the planned path; determining a first flight speed according to current position information and expected position information in the planned path; determining a second flight speed according to the current position information, the expected position information, and the topological position information in the formation; Determining a third flight speed according to the current position information and a positional relationship with other UAVs in the formation; calculating a target flight speed based on the first flight speed, the second flight speed, and the third flight speed; The formation is controlled according to the target flight speed.

2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that The receiving the topological position information of the formation and determining the planned path specifically includes: Receive the waypoint location information within the preset flight range, and obtain the virtual center planning path based on the path planning algorithm; Determine, based on the topological position information in the formation, position difference information with respect to the planned path of the virtual center; The planned path is obtained according to the position difference information and based on the path planning algorithm.

3. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that The determining the second flight speed according to the current position information, the expected position information, and the topological position information in the formation specifically includes: Determining actual relative position information based on the current position information and current position information of other UAVs in the formation; Determine expected relative position information according to the expected position information, expected position information of other UAVs in the formation, and topological position information in the formation; The second flight speed is determined according to the actual relative position information and the expected relative position information based on a consistency protocol.

4. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that: Determining the third flight speed according to the current position information and the position relationship with other UAVs in the formation specifically includes: Determine the relative distance between two adjacent drones according to the current position information, the current position information of other drones in the formation, and the position relationship with other drones in the formation; The third flight speed is determined according to the relative distance based on an obstacle function.

5. The method according to claim 4, characterized in that The preset anti-collision threshold includes a danger threshold and a safety threshold, the danger threshold is less than the safety threshold, and the determining the third flight speed according to the relative distance and based on an obstacle function specifically includes: Comparing the relative distance with the danger threshold and the safety threshold to determine an impulse function; The third flight speed is determined according to the impulse function based on an obstacle function.

6. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that The calculating the target flight speed based on the first flight speed, the second flight speed and the third flight speed specifically includes: comparing the second flight speed with a formation control speed threshold to determine a second target flight speed; Comparing the third flight speed with the anti-collision control speed threshold to determine a third target flight speed; The target flight speed is calculated based on the first flight speed, the second target flight speed, and the third target flight speed.

7. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that The controlling the formation according to the target flight speed specifically includes: Calculate the unit vector of the target flight speed to obtain the current flight speed; Calculate the flight speed at the last moment based on the current yaw angle information; Calculating the yaw angle at the next moment according to the current flight speed and the flight speed at the previous moment; The formation is controlled according to the target flight speed and the yaw angle at the next moment.

8. A distributed vertical take-off fixed-wing UAV cluster formation control device, characterized in that: Applicable to any UAV in a vertical take-off fixed-wing UAV cluster, including: A planning path determination module is used to receive the topological position information of the formation and determine the planning path; A first flight speed determination module, used to determine a first flight speed according to current position information and expected position information in the planned path; A second flight speed determination module, configured to determine a second flight speed according to the current position information, the expected position information, and the topological position information in the formation; A third flight speed determination module, configured to determine a third flight speed according to the current position information and a position relationship with other UAVs in the formation; a target flight speed determination module, configured to calculate a target flight speed based on the first flight speed, the second flight speed and the third flight speed; A control module is used to control the formation according to the target flight speed.

9. A distributed vertical take-off fixed-wing UAV swarm formation control device, comprising a memory, a processor and a computer program stored in the memory, characterized in that: The processor executes the computer program to implement the steps of the method according to any one of claims 1 to 7.

10. A computer-readable storage medium having a computer program stored thereon, characterized in that: When the computer program is executed by a processor, the steps of the method according to any one of claims 1 to 7 are implemented.

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