Formation Control of Multiple Unmanned Aerial Manipulators

This paper presents the control of multiple unmanned aerial manipulators that perform various manipulator tasks keeping a given formation. The Software-in-loop simulation is utilised to test and validate three cooperative algorithms, i.e., line formation tracking a piecewise continuous trajectory, circular trajectory in a cyclic pursuit, and finally a pick and place operation during formation. We employed leader-follower strategies and performed experiments using the Robot Operating System, Gazebo, and PX4. During the formation process, the manipulator is tested for various poses yet it maintained stability and followed the designated path. Performance of the proposed controller and algorithms are evaluated through real-time simulation analysis.