A Distributed Two-Layer Framework for Teleoperated Platooning of Fixed-Wing UAVs via Decomposition and Backstepping

We propose a novel distributed control framework for teleoperated platooning of multiple three-dimensional (3D) fixed-wing unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), consisting of the following two layers: 1) virtual frame layer, which generates the target 3D nonholonomic motion of the virtual nonholonomic frames (VNFs) using the nonholonomic decomposition (D. J. Lee, 2010) and backstepping in such a way that the VNFs are to maintain the platoon formation in a distributed manner while respecting the directionality of the fixed-wing UAV; and 2) local control layer, which drives each fixed-wing UAV to track their respective VNF with their under-actuation and aerodynamic disturbance effects fully taken into account by using the backstepping and Lyapunov-based design techniques. Convergence and stability of salient aspects of each layer and their combination are theoretically established. Simulations with 25 fixed-wing UAVs and a haptic device are also performed to validate the theory with their multimedia provided at https://youtu.be/Z3Mo66KIsns.