Predefined-Time Fault-Tolerant Consensus Tracking Control for Multi-UAV Systems With Prescribed Performance and Attitude Constraints

This article focuses on the predefined-time fault-tolerant consensus tracking control problem for multi-unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) systems with prescribed performance and attitude constraints. The UAV systems are divided into the position subsystems and the attitude subsystems for consideration. In the position subsystem, a predefined-time consensus protocol is formulated by modifying the conventional prescribed performance control schemes. The advantage of our work is that the tracking errors can be consistently positive or negative during system operation while achieving the demanded tracking accuracy within the predefined time. In the attitude subsystem, an output-dependent universal barrier function is constructed to realize the attitude output constraints and remove the restrictive assumption that Euler angles should satisfy specific ranges in the existing results. Considering the actuators of UAVs are vulnerable to faults in hostile working environment, an adaptive compensation mechanism is developed to improve the fault tolerance of multi-UAV systems. Finally, the proposed control scheme is applied to power patrol inspection missions to verify its feasibility and effectiveness.