Multi UAVs follow paths in tight formations with simple vector fields
Swarm Choreography Made Simple: Superposed Guiding Vector Fields for Rigid Formation Path Following
Robotics
Summary
Coordinating many drones to fly together in fixed shapes along complex paths can be tricky. The authors came up with a method where each drone follows a combination of simple movement rules encoded as vector fields. These rules guide the drones to keep their formation shape, stay on the path, avoid collisions, and communicate minimal information. They tested their approach on five flying drones performing 3D maneuvers, showing it works in practice.
What this means in practice
- •For drone fleet operators: Operate multiple drones to maintain precise formations while following complex 3D paths with low communication overhead.
- •For robotics engineers: Implement decentralized path following for multi-robot teams requiring formation rigidity and collision avoidance.
Authors
Jo{ã}o Machado, Matthieu Verdoucq, Christophe Jouffrais, Murat Bronz
Abstract
This paper presents a decentralized guiding vector field framework for rigid formation path following in multi- UAV systems based on the superposition of simple rule-driven vector fields. Each control objective is encoded as a dedicated vector-field component: a normalized tangential term to ensure progression along a prescribed geometric path at a desired speed, a convergence term driving the formation toward the path, a local coordination term that preserves the desired formation shape through a pseudo-path parameter, and a local separation term for inter-agent collision avoidance. The coordination mechanism requires the exchange of only a single scalar per agent, resulting in low communication bandwidth. Partial theoretical results establish convergence of the swarm to the desired path and formation in the absence of the sepa- ration term, while collision avoidance is formally guaranteed. The approach is experimentally validated using a swarm of five quadrotors executing two 3D choreographies. The first experiment involves tracking a helical path while maintaining a rigid V-shaped formation. The second demonstrates a spiral- like motion obtained by a rotating circular formation tracking a vertical line. The experimental results support the effectiveness and practical applicability of the proposed framework.