Adaptive Finite-Time Formation Control for a Class of VTOL UAVs with Directed Topologies*

This paper studies the finite-time control problem for a class of vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) subject to uncertain nonlinear dynamics with directed topologies. An adaptive distributed control approach is developed based on the finite-time Lyapunov theory and the technique of fractional power feedback. The proposed control law has the cascade structure consisting of an inner-loop attitude controller and an outer-loop position controller since aircrafts have slower position dynamics and faster attitude dynamics. It is shown that the finite-time formation can be achieved via the proposed control law, and upper bounds on convergence time is taken into account. Finally, simulations are carried out to illustrate the effectiveness of the proposed control approach.