Predefined-Time Bipartite Time-Varying Formation Tracking Control of Networked Autonomous Surface Vehicles via Hierarchical Control Approach

As increasingly prevalent technologies in autonomous driving, autonomous surface vehicles (ASVs) have been widely applied to accomplish different practical tasks. However, there exist a few researches that have considered both the case of cooperative and antagonistic relationships between vehicles. Therefore, we aim to develop an effective approach to tackle the predefined-time bipartite time-varying formation tracking (BTVFT) problem of networked ASVs subject to external disturbances in this article. Firstly, the predefined-time hierarchical control (PTHC) algorithm is proposed to address the aforesaid issue. More specifically, by utilizing directed signed graph, the ASVs are divided into two subgroups to form their own time-varying formation configurations on both sides of the dynamic leader and keep the same distances from the leader. More notably, the convergence time can be designed in advance according to actual demands. Then, the corresponding sufficient conditions for achieving the predefined-time BTVFT are obtained by systematic analysis and Lyapunov stability analysis. Eventually, numerical simulation experiments on Cyber-Ships II are carried out, which vividly reflect the effectiveness and feasibility of the developed control algorithm.