Hydrodynamic Effect on V-Shape Pattern Formation of Swarm Autonomous Surface Vehicles (ASVs)

Swarm robot has been studied for last few decades because it possesses robustness, scalability and flexibility characteristics as compared to other types of robotic system. One of the swarm robots research areas includes a pattern formation. This paper presents an investigation of hydrodynamic effect (i.e. viscous drag) on the swarm Autonomous Surface Vehicles (ASVs) while performing pattern formation based on leader-follower control approach. The study specifically focus on the hydrodynamic effect of V-shape pattern formation as naturally observed in flying method of migrating birds. This study is important to ensure stability of the pattern formation while swarm of ASVs navigate on the water's surface. The parameters of interest are relative distance and relative angle between the ASV's leader and follower. Simulation results show that as the distance between the ASVs increases, the drag effect on the followers are decreases. It is also observed that, as the angle between leader and follower increases, the drag effect experiences by the follower ASVs decreases up to a certain value of angle before increasing again. However, the drag effect encountered by the leader is continuously decreases as the angle increases except at the initial state.