Fixed-time formation behavior control for unmanned ground vehicle-manipulators

Unmanned ground vehicle-manipulators (UGVMs), which integrate mobility and dexterous manipulation, are increasingly deployed in complex environments. However, their formation control is challenged by nonholonomic constraints, external disturbances, and multi-task conflicts. This paper proposes a fixed-time formation behavior control (Fixed-FBC) method UGVMs operating in static obstacle environments under external disturbances and system uncertainties. The approach introduces a nonholonomic null-space behavioral control (N-NSBC) framework that integrates fixed-time stability strategy for rapid convergence, systematic incorporation of nonholonomic constraints to inherently avoid local minima by resolving yaw-position coupling, and transformation of multi-objective coordination into unified velocity commands. To address dynamic uncertainties, an adaptive fixed-time tracking controller is developed that employs adaptive laws to estimate unknown system parameters in real-time while utilizing sliding mode techniques to reject external disturbances. Simulation results demonstrate a [Formula: see text] reduction in settling time compared to conventional methods, along with effective coordination of formation maintenance, obstacle avoidance, and manipulator control.