Moving target following control of multi-AUVs formation based on rigid virtual leader-follower under ocean current

The paper addresses the problem of formation control of AUVs in the mission of moving target following on the plane with the disturbance of ocean current, and proposed a new formation structure based on the method of graph theory and virtual leader-follower. The new method of formation structure has been designed by combining the advantages of original formation structures. The formation leader has accurate position information as it is virtual AUV and has no current disturbance; based on the accurate position of virtual leader, the expected position of signal AUV in the formation can be obtained. With the leader and neighbor AUV, the fixed triangle is set up. This method adds the rigidity and locations accuracy in the aspect of formation structure, but reduces the communication between AUVs. Then, the formation leader following controller which use adaptive backstepping control is be proved stable by Lyapunov theory. Finally, the simulation proves that the AUVs formation control based on the backstepping control with this new structural method is stable and convergent.