Coordinated Formation Control for Swarm Flying Robots

Abstract

Swarm robotics has gained a lot of interest because of its potential for effective group behavior across various fields. This paper presents an in-depth study on Coordinated Formation Control (CFC) for Swarm Flying Robots (SFRs), focusing on developing a reliable CFC algorithm to handle the challenges in coordinating a group of flying robots. The goal is to form specific shapes and perform shape transitions as a team. The research addresses the swarm formation control problem, which involves having the robots move, work together, and arrange themselves in the intended formation, then maintain that formation while in motion. The approach uses a method based on linear assignments to establish the positions of the robots relative to one another and includes a pattern vector to represent these positions. A weighted confidence matrix is used to show how much information is being shared between the robots. We tested the CFC algorithm’s performance through simulations, considering typical conditions as well as challenging situations with potential robot failures. The results show that the proposed algorithm can achieve and maintain complex formations even when adapting to changing environments or facing failures. The study also explores different failure scenarios and suggests ways to minimize their effect on the swarm’s behavior. This work helps move the field of swarm robotics forward by offering insights into effective strategies for managing CFC in SFRs.