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Purpose

A multivariable model reference adaptive control method is proposed to solve a distributed leader–follower formation control problem of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) with uncertain parameters and unknown external disturbances for both leader and followers.

Design/methodology/approach

A case of uncertain stochastic external disturbances for UAVs is considered, and based on the distributed communication network of UAVs, a state-feedback adaptive controller is proposed to maintain the formation of UAVs consistently. Then, the stability and asymptotic tracking performance of the UAV formation control system are analyzed by the Lyapunov function.

Findings

The simulation results demonstrate that this formation control scheme can effectively solve the stochastic external disturbance problem of UAVs and ensure the stability of their formation.

Originality/value

The proposed multivariable model reference adaptive control method reduces the error of formation control system and improves the stability and control performance of UAV compared with fixed control.

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