Observer-based Practical Predefined-time Distributed Formation Control for AUVs

This paper proposes a distributed practical predefined-time formation control scheme for multi-AUV system in the presence of external disturbances. Firstly, a novel predefined-time sliding mode disturbance observer (PTSDO) is constructed , with which the external disturbances can be precisely estimated. On this basis, the predefined-time control theory and backstepping technique are integrated to guarantee the practical predefined-time convergence of the formation states. Furthermore, a novel predefined-time command filter is designed to cope with the repeated derivation calculation explosion problem. Finally, the effectiveness and rationality of the proposed formation control scheme are validated by numerous simulations.