RRT*-DMPC: A Method for UAVs Formation Control

Abstract Aiming at the cooperative navigation problem of UAV swarms in complex battlefield environments such as maritime, urban, and jungle areas, a hierarchical cooperative control method based on the Tube RRT* algorithm and Distributed Model Predictive Control (DMPC) is proposed. By introducing a multi-strategy heuristic node expansion mechanism and comprehensively considering path length and passable gap volume to avoid cluster congestion, the algorithm’s convergence speed and path quality are significantly improved. Subsequently, to address the challenges of UAV swarm flight in complex environments, such as narrow passages, a formation motion control framework based on DMPC is proposed, achieving high-precision path tracking and inter-agent collision avoidance. Simulation results show that the improved algorithm significantly enhances both path planning efficiency and quality, providing a more efficient and reliable solution for UAV swarm applications in complex environments.