Underactuated Multi-AUV Robust Formation Control Based on Virtual Leader

In order to realize formation control over underactuated antonomous underwater vehicles(AUVs), this paper proposes a virtual leader-followers control strategy by using relative displacment and angle between the leader and followers to generate and maintain AUVs formation. Under the environment of constant ocean current disturbance,a multi-AUV robust controller is designed based on the AUV kinetic model, and its stability is proved though the Lyapunov function. In the simulaton, the leader AUV has successfully tracked the 2D fold-line path, and the followers maintain formation organization simultaneously, The realative distance error among AUV s approach zero and maintain stability. Therefore, the formation control strategy for underactuated AUVs is further proved through simulation, which is of signifiance for research in the field of underactuated AUV formation.