Distributed cooperative control of autonomous multi-agent UAV systems using smooth control

This paper addresses the cooperative control problem of multiple unmanned aerial vehicles (multi-UAV) systems. First, a new distributed consensus algorithm for second-order nonlinear multi-agent systems (MAS) is formulated under the leader-following approach. The algorithm provides smooth input signals to the agents' control channels, which avoids the chattering effect generated by the conventional sliding mode-based control protocols. Second, a new formation control scheme is developed by integrating smooth distributed consensus control protocols into the geometric pattern model to achieve three-dimensional formation tracking. The Lyapunov theory is used to prove the stability and convergence of both distributed consensus and formation controllers. The effectiveness of the proposed algorithms is demonstrated through simulation results.