The formation of unmanned aerial vehicle swarm

Research Article
Open access

The formation of unmanned aerial vehicle swarm

Ziyi Lu 1*
  • 1 Nanjing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics    
  • *corresponding author zylu0830@nuaa.edu.cn
Published on 25 September 2023 | https://doi.org/10.54254/2755-2721/10/20230136
ACE Vol.10
ISSN (Print): 2755-273X
ISSN (Online): 2755-2721
ISBN (Print): 978-1-83558-009-7
ISBN (Online): 978-1-83558-010-3

Abstract

The Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) have played a much more important role in daily life, ranging from entertainment and military use, in which case UAV swarm is adopted as means to lower the operation cost, as well as to compensate for the insufficient performance of a single drone. However, sharp distinctions between individual drones and UAV swarm exist not only in the field of controlling, but in the area of aerodynamics as well. To conclude, the operator, instead of a team of engineers, needs to perform severe tasks with the help of several drones which act as a swarm rather than interfere with each other. Meanwhile, in order to improve the efficiency of UAV swarm, different formations are looked into from different fields, mainly aerodynamics and control engineering. This review will mainly focus on the aerodynamics performance of formations of swarming UAVs, both in close formation flight and extended formation flight. Comparisons will also be made to show the merits and demerits of these formations, providing convenience for path planning of different tasks.

Keywords:

UAV, swarm, V-formation, O-formation, extended formation flight.

Lu,Z. (2023). The formation of unmanned aerial vehicle swarm. Applied and Computational Engineering,10,37-46.
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References

[1]. Hua, M. D., Chen, B. M., & Chen, W. H. (2013). Introduction to feedback control of underactuated VTOL vehicles. IEEE Control Systems Journal, 33(1), 61-75.

[2]. Zhou, Y., Rao, B., & Wang, W. (2020). UAV swarm intelligence: Recent advances and future trends. IEEE Access, 8, 183856-183878.

[3]. Duan, H., & Zhang, X. (2015). Phase transition of vortex-like self-propelled particles induced by an adversary particle. Physical Review E Statistical Nonlinearity and Soft Matter Physics, 92(1-1), 012701.

[4]. Boskovic, J. D., Prasanth, R., & Mehra, R. K. (1971). Multilayer autonomous intelligent control architecture for unmanned aerial vehicles. Journal of Aeronautical Computing, Information and Communications, 1(12), 605-628.

[5]. Giulietti, F., Pollini, L., & Innocenti, M. (2000). Autonomous formation flight. Control Systems IEEE, 20(6), 34-44.

[6]. Lissaman, P. B., & Shollenberger, C. A. (1970). Formation flight in birds. Science (New York), 168(3934), 1003-5. doi:10.1126/science.168.3934.1003

[7]. Badgerow, J. P., & Hainsworth, F. R. (1981). Saving energy by flying in formation? Pulse formation revisited. Journal of Theoretical Biology, 93(1), 41-52.

[8]. Maeng, J. S., Lee, S., Kim, D., & Yoon, H. S. (2013). A modeling approach for energy conservation of Canada geese in flight using computational fluid dynamics. Journal of Theoretical Biology, 320, 76-85.

[9]. Saban, D., Whidborne, J. F., & Cooke, A. K. (2009). Simulation of wake vortex effects in unmanned aircraft in close formation flight. Journal of Aeronautics - New Series - 113.1149, 727-738.

[10]. Hauert, S., Leven, S., Vásárhelyi, G., & Martinoli, A. (2014). Realistic fixed-wing robots in Reynolds swarms: Communication range versus maximum turn rate. IEEE/RSJ International Conference on Intelligent Robots and Systems.

[11]. Qiu, H. X., & Duan, H. B. (2017). From collective flight of bird flocks to autonomous swarm formation of unmanned aerial vehicles. Chinese Journal of Engineering, 2017, 1-11.

[12]. Reynolds, C. W. (1987). Flocks, herds and schools: A distributed model of behavior. ACM SIGGRAPH Computer Graphics, 21(4), 25-34.

[13]. Qiu, H. X., Duan, H. B., & Fan, Y. M. (2015). Autonomous formation of multiple UAVs based on pigeon flock behavior mechanism. Control Theory and Applications.

[14]. Yang, Q., & Duan, H. B. (2019). Verification of UAV swarm behavior mechanism based on Anser cygnoides formation. Chinese Journal of Engineering, 41(12), 1599-1608.

[15]. Mirzaeinia, A., Chamorro, L. P., Cagan, A., & Abdulrahim, M. (2019). Energy conservation of V-sharming fixed-wing drones through position reconfiguration. Aerospace Science and Technology, 94(Nov.), 105

[16]. Kang, H., Joung, J., & Kang, J. (2020). Power efficiency formation of drone swarms: like flying birds? In GLOBECOM 2020 - 2020 IEEE Global Communications Conference (pp. 1-6). IEEE.

[17]. Colombi, J., Jacques, D. R., & Lambach, J. L. (2017). Combining drone swarm systems with reduced formation drag. In 2017 IEEE International Systems Conference (SysCon) (pp. 1-6). IEEE.

[18]. Jia, Y., & Yue, X. (2021). Simulation study of leading airshow character display by UAV swarm. Unmanned Systems Technology, 4(3), 8.

[19]. Ning, A., Flanzer, T. C., & Kroo, I. M. (2011). Aerodynamic performance of extended formation flight. Journal of Aircraft, 48(1), 136-143.

[20]. Zhuang, L. Q., Yin, X. Y., & Ma, S. Y. (1990). Fluid mechanics (Revised edition). University of Science and Technology of China Press.

[21]. Liu, Z. Y. (2016). Study on the vortex drag reduction mechanism and formation parameters optimization in tight formation flight. (Doctoral dissertation, University of Science and Technology of China).

[22]. Yan, Z. Y., Lu, Z. L., & Wang, J. F. (2018). Aerodynamics. Science Press.

[23]. Phillips, W. F., & Snyder, D. O. (2000). Modern adaptation of Prandtl's classic lifting line theory. Journal of Aircraft, 37(4), 66670.

[24]. Konstadinopoulos, P., et al. (1985). A vortex-lattice method for general, unsteady aerodynamics. Journal of Aircraft, 22(1), 43-49.

[25]. Weissinger, J. (1947). Lift distribution of swept wings. Technical report archive and image library, 1120.

[26]. Li, D., et al. (2023). Aerodynamic coupling simulation study on tight formation flight of UAV. Flight Dynamics, 41(01), 14-19.

[27]. Kaden, A., & Luckner, R. (2018). Modelling of wake rolling and vortex-induced forces and moments for tight formation flight. AIAA Modeling and Simulation Technologies Conference.

[28]. Li, B., et al. (2015). Aerodynamic coupling analysis and simulation of UAV tight formation flight. Computer Simulation, 32(8), 5.

[29]. Bangash, Z. A., et al. (2012). Aerodynamics of formation flight. Journal of Aircraft, 43(4), 907-912.

[30]. Coustols, E., et al. (2003). "Minimised Wake": a Collaborative Research Programme on Aircraft Wake Vortices. Aerospace Science Meetings and Exhibits DLR.

[31]. Cattivelli, F. S., & Sayed, A. H. (2011). Modeling bird flight formations using diffusion adaptation. IEEE Transactions on Signal Processing, 59(5), 2038-2051.

[32]. Zhang, D., et al. (2018). Numerical aerodynamic characteristics analysis of the close formation flight. Mathematical Problems in Engineering, 2018, Article ID 8767802, 1-13.

Cite this article

Lu,Z. (2023). The formation of unmanned aerial vehicle swarm. Applied and Computational Engineering,10,37-46.

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About volume

Volume title: Proceedings of the 2023 International Conference on Mechatronics and Smart Systems

ISBN：978-1-83558-009-7(Print) / 978-1-83558-010-3(Online)
Editor：Alan Wang, Seyed Ghaffar
Conference website: https://2023.confmss.org/
Conference date: 24 June 2023
Series: Applied and Computational Engineering
Volume number: Vol.10
ISSN：2755-2721(Print) / 2755-273X(Online)

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References

[1]. Hua, M. D., Chen, B. M., & Chen, W. H. (2013). Introduction to feedback control of underactuated VTOL vehicles. IEEE Control Systems Journal, 33(1), 61-75.

[2]. Zhou, Y., Rao, B., & Wang, W. (2020). UAV swarm intelligence: Recent advances and future trends. IEEE Access, 8, 183856-183878.

[3]. Duan, H., & Zhang, X. (2015). Phase transition of vortex-like self-propelled particles induced by an adversary particle. Physical Review E Statistical Nonlinearity and Soft Matter Physics, 92(1-1), 012701.

[4]. Boskovic, J. D., Prasanth, R., & Mehra, R. K. (1971). Multilayer autonomous intelligent control architecture for unmanned aerial vehicles. Journal of Aeronautical Computing, Information and Communications, 1(12), 605-628.

[5]. Giulietti, F., Pollini, L., & Innocenti, M. (2000). Autonomous formation flight. Control Systems IEEE, 20(6), 34-44.

[6]. Lissaman, P. B., & Shollenberger, C. A. (1970). Formation flight in birds. Science (New York), 168(3934), 1003-5. doi:10.1126/science.168.3934.1003

[7]. Badgerow, J. P., & Hainsworth, F. R. (1981). Saving energy by flying in formation? Pulse formation revisited. Journal of Theoretical Biology, 93(1), 41-52.

[8]. Maeng, J. S., Lee, S., Kim, D., & Yoon, H. S. (2013). A modeling approach for energy conservation of Canada geese in flight using computational fluid dynamics. Journal of Theoretical Biology, 320, 76-85.

[9]. Saban, D., Whidborne, J. F., & Cooke, A. K. (2009). Simulation of wake vortex effects in unmanned aircraft in close formation flight. Journal of Aeronautics - New Series - 113.1149, 727-738.

[10]. Hauert, S., Leven, S., Vásárhelyi, G., & Martinoli, A. (2014). Realistic fixed-wing robots in Reynolds swarms: Communication range versus maximum turn rate. IEEE/RSJ International Conference on Intelligent Robots and Systems.

[11]. Qiu, H. X., & Duan, H. B. (2017). From collective flight of bird flocks to autonomous swarm formation of unmanned aerial vehicles. Chinese Journal of Engineering, 2017, 1-11.

[12]. Reynolds, C. W. (1987). Flocks, herds and schools: A distributed model of behavior. ACM SIGGRAPH Computer Graphics, 21(4), 25-34.

[13]. Qiu, H. X., Duan, H. B., & Fan, Y. M. (2015). Autonomous formation of multiple UAVs based on pigeon flock behavior mechanism. Control Theory and Applications.

[14]. Yang, Q., & Duan, H. B. (2019). Verification of UAV swarm behavior mechanism based on Anser cygnoides formation. Chinese Journal of Engineering, 41(12), 1599-1608.

[15]. Mirzaeinia, A., Chamorro, L. P., Cagan, A., & Abdulrahim, M. (2019). Energy conservation of V-sharming fixed-wing drones through position reconfiguration. Aerospace Science and Technology, 94(Nov.), 105

[16]. Kang, H., Joung, J., & Kang, J. (2020). Power efficiency formation of drone swarms: like flying birds? In GLOBECOM 2020 - 2020 IEEE Global Communications Conference (pp. 1-6). IEEE.

[17]. Colombi, J., Jacques, D. R., & Lambach, J. L. (2017). Combining drone swarm systems with reduced formation drag. In 2017 IEEE International Systems Conference (SysCon) (pp. 1-6). IEEE.

[18]. Jia, Y., & Yue, X. (2021). Simulation study of leading airshow character display by UAV swarm. Unmanned Systems Technology, 4(3), 8.

[19]. Ning, A., Flanzer, T. C., & Kroo, I. M. (2011). Aerodynamic performance of extended formation flight. Journal of Aircraft, 48(1), 136-143.

[20]. Zhuang, L. Q., Yin, X. Y., & Ma, S. Y. (1990). Fluid mechanics (Revised edition). University of Science and Technology of China Press.

[21]. Liu, Z. Y. (2016). Study on the vortex drag reduction mechanism and formation parameters optimization in tight formation flight. (Doctoral dissertation, University of Science and Technology of China).

[22]. Yan, Z. Y., Lu, Z. L., & Wang, J. F. (2018). Aerodynamics. Science Press.

[23]. Phillips, W. F., & Snyder, D. O. (2000). Modern adaptation of Prandtl's classic lifting line theory. Journal of Aircraft, 37(4), 66670.

[24]. Konstadinopoulos, P., et al. (1985). A vortex-lattice method for general, unsteady aerodynamics. Journal of Aircraft, 22(1), 43-49.

[25]. Weissinger, J. (1947). Lift distribution of swept wings. Technical report archive and image library, 1120.

[26]. Li, D., et al. (2023). Aerodynamic coupling simulation study on tight formation flight of UAV. Flight Dynamics, 41(01), 14-19.

[27]. Kaden, A., & Luckner, R. (2018). Modelling of wake rolling and vortex-induced forces and moments for tight formation flight. AIAA Modeling and Simulation Technologies Conference.

[28]. Li, B., et al. (2015). Aerodynamic coupling analysis and simulation of UAV tight formation flight. Computer Simulation, 32(8), 5.

[29]. Bangash, Z. A., et al. (2012). Aerodynamics of formation flight. Journal of Aircraft, 43(4), 907-912.

[30]. Coustols, E., et al. (2003). "Minimised Wake": a Collaborative Research Programme on Aircraft Wake Vortices. Aerospace Science Meetings and Exhibits DLR.

[31]. Cattivelli, F. S., & Sayed, A. H. (2011). Modeling bird flight formations using diffusion adaptation. IEEE Transactions on Signal Processing, 59(5), 2038-2051.

[32]. Zhang, D., et al. (2018). Numerical aerodynamic characteristics analysis of the close formation flight. Mathematical Problems in Engineering, 2018, Article ID 8767802, 1-13.

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