Keywords

Cooperative Control, Cooperative Timing, UAVs, Unmanned Air Vehicles

Abstract

Sponsorship: AFOSR, DARPA. This paper presents a solution strategy for achieving cooperative timing among teams of vehicles. Based on the notion of coordination variables and coordination functions, the strategy facilitates cooperative timing by requiring acceptably low levels of communication and computation. The application of the coordination variable/function approach to trajectory planning problems for teams of unmanned air vehicles with timing constraints is described. Three types of timing constraints are considered: simultaneous arrival, tight sequencing, and loose sequencing. Simulation results demonstrating the viability of the approach are presented.

Original Publication Citation

Timothy W. McLain and Randal W. Beard. "Coordination Variables, Coordination Functions, and Cooperative Timing Missions", Journal of Guidance, Control, and Dynamics, Vol. 28, No. 1 (2005), pp. 150-161.