A decomposition strategy for optimal coordination of unmanned air vehicles

The cooperative control of multiple unmanned air vehicles (UAVs) poses significant theoretical and technical challenges. This research addresses the specific problem of the coordination of rendezvous of multiple UAVs at a predetermined target location. The rendezvous problem is posed as an optimization problem where the objective is to maximize the survivability of the UAV team, while constraining the UAVs to arrive at the target simultaneously. A decomposition strategy is proposed that allows optimization and guidance computations to be decentralized among the UAVs. The approach takes into account the threat and fuel situation of each UAV, while requiring only modest communication among the UAVs. Simulation results demonstrating the feasibility of the approach are presented