Coordination of a Group of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles during Takeoff

An algorithm for controlling the group takeoff of aircraft-type unmanned aerial vehicles based on the “leader–follower” approach was developed. The optimization of unmanned aerial vehicle takeoff with high-precision manoeuvring was considered. Based on L.S. Pontryagin’s maximum principle, a control structure is formed, followed by adaptive correction of the parameters of this control structure. Specialized algorithms were developed for the follower aircraft to maintain a given position relative to the leader using a PID controller. The results of numerical simulation in MATLAB demonstrate high manoeuvre accuracy (the steady-state error does not exceed 0.01 m in the inter-wing distance) and synchronization of group takeoff. The practical application of the algorithm for the construction of a phased antenna array from a group of unmanned aerial vehicles was noted.