Maintenance and transformation method for a multi-AUV dense formation

Accurate formation maintenance and safe formation transformations are significant challenges for multiple autonomous underwater vehicle (multi-AUV) dense formations. To address these problems, an innovative control method for a multi-AUV dense formation is proposed. First, a model predictive controller (MPC) that considers AUV input constraints and external disturbances is designed such that a multi-AUV dense formation can accurately maintain a desired formation while tracking a reference trajectory. After that, at the kinematics level, an optimal path for a safe and efficient multi-AUV dense formation transformation is generated based on the Hungarian method. Furthermore, considering an underactuated and nonlinear AUV dynamics model at the dynamics level, a potential function based on collision avoidance is established. It is added to the MPC objective function to further guarantee the potential of the formation transformation. Finally, a multi-AUV dense formation maintenance simulation shows that the proposed method can guarantee higher trajectory tracking accuracy than other algorithms. A multi-AUV dense formation transformation simulation shows that the proposed method avoids the occurrence of cross paths and a safe distance between AUVs is always maintained. The above results demonstrate that multi-AUV dense formations can achieve accurate maintenance and safe transformations, and the proposed method is feasible and effective.