Communication Delay-Based Under-Actuated MASVs Distributed Formation Tracking Control With Unknown Ocean Disturbances...

Area of Science:

• Robotics and Control Systems
• Marine Engineering
• Autonomous Systems

Background:

• Formation control of multiple autonomous surface vehicles (MASVs) is complex due to under-actuation, communication delays, and environmental uncertainties.
• Existing control methods often struggle with input quantization and external marine disturbances, limiting practical application.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a robust two-level distributed guidance and quantization control architecture for under-actuated MASVs.
• To address challenges including communication delays, input quantization, marine disturbances, and internal model uncertainties.
• To enhance the practical applicability of MASV formation control in marine engineering.

Main Methods:

• A two-level distributed guidance and quantization control architecture utilizing the Nussbaum function.
• A time-delay distributed event-triggered extended state observer (ESO) for leader state estimation and communication resource conservation.
• Fuzzy logic systems for estimating uncertain model terms and a linear model for handling input quantization.
• Fuzzy adaptive quantization tracking control laws for accurate guidance signal tracking and reduced actuator frequency.

Main Results:

• The proposed control architecture effectively estimates states of neighboring agents and unknown ocean disturbances.
• Fuzzy adaptive control laws achieve accurate tracking of guidance signals while minimizing actuator usage.
• Stability analysis confirms that all signals within the closed-loop system are uniformly ultimately bounded.
• Simulation experiments demonstrate the method's rationality and effectiveness.

Conclusions:

• The developed control strategy provides a robust solution for the formation control of under-actuated MASVs under challenging conditions.
• The integration of ESO, fuzzy logic, and Nussbaum functions enhances control accuracy and system applicability in marine environments.
• The proposed method offers a significant advancement for practical marine engineering applications requiring coordinated autonomous vehicle operations.