Formation Control of Multi-UAV Based on High-Order Fully Actuated System Approaches

Based on the higher-order fully (HOFA) actuated control approach, this paper develops a fully actuated control strategy for quadrotor UAV formations. It establishes an error dynamic model and adopts a hierarchical control approach to independently regulate the horizontal and altitude-attitude dynamics, ensuring precise tracking of a virtual leader's desired trajectory. Subsequently, it employs virtual control inputs and matrix transformations to convert the original nonlinear model into a higher-order fully actuated system that meets the full actuation condition. Building on this foundation, it formulates a formation control law for multiple UAVs, yielding a linearized closed-loop system whose desired dynamic properties are achieved through pole placement. Moreover, it introduces a relative position error compensation mechanism to effectively correct formation deviations, ensuring rapid convergence to the desired configuration while the tracking errors of the follower UAVs gradually approach zero.