Collaborative Safety-Critical Scaling Formation Control of VTOL UAVs: An NMPC-CLF-CBF Approach

This paper presents a nonlinear model predictive control (NMPC) framework integrated with control barrier functions (CBFs) and control Lyapunov functions (CLFs) for safe formation control of multiple vertical take-off and landing unmanned aerial vehicles in dense environments. In realworld scenarios, UAVs face significant challenges in collision avoidance and safe inter-vehicle distance maintenance. The proposed method integrates formation-keeping constraints with safety-critical constraints, ensuring collision avoidance and dynamic feasibility. By leveraging NMPC's predictive capability alongside the safety guarantees of CBFs and CLFs, our approach effectively generates smooth flight trajectories while maintaining formation and avoiding obstacles. The proposed method demonstrates reliable performance in dynamic and constrained environments, providing a practical solution for real-world applications.