Robust-formation control of multi-Autonomous Underwater Vehicles based on consensus algorithm

This paper discusses a robust formation control for multi-Autonomous Underwater Vehicles (AUVs). The AUVs are disturbed by exogenous perturbation during the mission, thus, the Robust Integral Sign of Error (RISE) is adopted. For a formation control, a leader-follower structure based on consensus algorithm is adopted and the use of graph theorem named connected graph is useful to exchange the required information. An AUV called leader is determined to bring a group of information, while the others called followers, receive the information from a leader. Lyapunov analysis proves the stability as well as the error convergence of proposed controller, whilst some simulations are performed to compare between the proposed controller, RISE with consensus, and the existing robust controller, Sliding Mode Controller (SMC) which is combined with consensus algorithm. As a result, the proposed controller works better and produces smaller error.

I. Introduction

An Autonomous Underwater Vehicle (AUV) is used to substitute a human for the reason of human's health in a long term of undersea project. Nowadays, the demand of using AUV is getting increase due to the increasing number of the undersea project [1]. Every project requires a lot of specific data, thus, employs more than one AUV in a project is useful to enhance its efficiency because the use of multi-AUVs enables the user to organize different task and collects more information in a short time. However, using multi-AUVs in the undersea project is not easy to be applied. The problems related to an uncertain of undersea environment and communication network between the AUVs are arose. Multi-AUVs require to create a good coordination [2], while one example to achieved it is by providing a certain formation.