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.