Guidance Strategy for High-Speed Traversal of Fixed-Wing UAV Dense Formations

Cluster guidance technology for fixed-wing unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) has been a significant research focus in the UAV field. Cluster UAV guidance faces challenges such as mission coordination and path decision planning, while also needing to consider real-world scenarios and constraints. This paper addresses the visual guidance challenge of fixed-wing UAVs in dense formation scenarios, set against the backdrop of the Fast Crossing Race. Firstly, it analyzes the issues of visual blind spots and inter-vehicle occlusion during Fast Crossing Race in dense UAV formations. Secondly, we proposes a method based on the absolute pose of the gate frame to solve the problem of visual blind spots during close-range approaches. Additionally, a multi-source guidance information fusion strategy is designed to address the issue of inter-vehicle visual occlusion in dense formations. To validate the effectiveness of the proposed technology and strategy, a corresponding cluster fixed-wing UAV system was designed. The system, in the form of a dense formation of seven UAVs, achieved the highest score in the second “Unmanned Aerial Contest” Fast Crossing Race, demonstrating the feasibility and advancement of the proposed guidance strategy.