Formation flight using multiple Integral Backstepping controllers

In this paper, a new approach for the formation control of a group of UAVs is presented. The proposed method is based on a combination of multiple Integral Backstepping (IB) controllers. The paper considers a group of quadrotor UAVs, each having an identical nonlinear dynamics. The stability of the formation flight is shown using the Lyapunov approach. The main contribution of the paper stems from the proposed combination of individual controllers, where each individual controller satisfies a reference configuration between two UAVs. The combination of all individual controllers provides the total force and moments required, in each UAV, for the stability of the formation.