Nonlinear Model Predictive Formation Control for Quadcopters*

This paper presents a Nonlinear Model Predictive Formation Control for a group of Quadcopters. In this approach the controllers are distributed to the quadcopters and the coupling is done through its objective function. The path following problem is expressed through a dynamic model of the quadcopter’s state errors relative to a Serret-Frenet frame, and the coordination problem is solved through adjustments in the robots’ speeds combined with the path update rate for each robot. A strategy based on constraints relaxing is proposed to solve the problem of high state and formation errors, factors that directly affect feasibility and stability. Simulation results considering a realistic scenario are provided to demonstrate the performance of the proposed control strategy.