Peak-seeking control with application to formation flight

A new controller is proposed for linear systems with unknown optimal operating points. It is assumed that the desired operating point represents the maximum of a function of the states of the system. The controller uses a modified Kalman filter to estimate the derivatives of this function, and the controller drives the system to the optimum. The controller is derived in the context of the formation flight of aircraft for drag reduction, and a simulation is used to provide preliminary results.