Integral sliding mode formation control of fixed-wing unmanned aircraft using seeker as a relative measurement system.

This paper deals with three dimensional leader–follower formation control of unmanned aircraft systems. The main contribution of the paper is kinematic formulation of the leader–follower formation based on seeker measurements which omit the need for communication networks. Considering uncertainties in measurement of followers speeds, a robust controller is employed. Then, by proposing an integrated controller–estimator consisting of the robust controller and a disturbance compensator, keeping the formation while the leader is maneuvering is guaranteed. Simulation results verify the accuracy of the integrated controller–estimator system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]