Distributed event-triggered control for UAV swarm target fencing with network connectivity preservation and collision avoidance

This paper proposes a distributed event-triggered control (ETC) framework to address cooperative target fencing challenges in UAV swarm. The proposed architecture eliminates the reliance on preset formation parameters while achieving multi-objective cooperative control for target fencing, network connectivity preservation, collision avoidance, and communication efficiency optimization. Firstly, a differential state observer is constructed to obtain the target's unmeasurable states. Secondly, leveraging swarm self-organization principles, a geometric-constraint-free distributed fencing controller is designed by integrating potential field methods with consensus theory. The controller dynamically adjusts inter-UAV distances via single potential function, enabling coordinated optimization of persistent network connectivity and collision-free motion during target fencing. Thirdly, a dual-threshold ETC mechanism based on velocity consensus deviation and fencing error is proposed, which can be triggered based on task features to dynamically adjust the communication frequency, significantly reduce the communication burden and exclude Zeno behavior. Theoretical analysis demonstrates the stability of closed-loop systems. Multi-scenario simulations show that the proposed method can achieve robust fencing under target maneuverability, partial UAV failures, and communication disturbances.