Control of a Formation of a UAV and a MARV in Backward Movement with Null Space-based Obstacle Avoidance and Gain Adjustment

Abstract

This work proposes a null space-based controller for a formation composed by a multi-articulated robot vehicle (MARV) in backward movement and an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), capable of avoiding collision with ground static obstacles during navigation. The proposed formation allows the UAV to analyze the environment from a top view, adding inspection capability to the MARV. The objective is that the virtual robot representing the formation avoids ground obstacles, mimicking real applications, such as in agriculture. Besides taking care of the control of the MARV-UAV formation, the proposed system also controls the backward movement of the MARV to avoid jackknifing, the shock between the trailers or between the first trailer and the tractor, while the multi-articulated robot follows a path. In this context, the article proposes to use the null space-based behavioral control technique to a MARV-UAV formation, to manage the conflicting tasks of following a path and avoid obstacles surrounding it. Results obtained running simulations, also shown here, validate the control system proposed to guide the MARV-UAV formation.