A Virtual Spring-Damper Approach for UAV Swarm Formation and Decentralised Collision Avoidance

This paper introduces a method for controlling UAV swarm formations and avoiding collisions using the Virtual Spring-Damper (VSD) approach. This approach draws upon classical mechanical spring-damper systems, employing displacement and velocities to generate attractive and repulsive forces. These forces help sustain swarm formation and prevent collisions in a decentralized manner. Extensive simulations provided a systematic approach to obtain the parameters involved in the spring-damper system. Flight tests were carried out to verify the proposed method. The experimental outcomes align with our simulations, demonstrating effectiveness in collision avoidance while preserving a specified flight formation.