Cooperative target search and tracking for multi-UAVs based on control barrier functions

In this paper, a multiple unmanned aerial vehicles (multi-UAVs) cooperative target search and tracking strategy with collision avoidance and flocking constraints are presented applying the control barrier functions (CBFs). First, the constraints of collision avoidance and flocking maintenance are designed based on CBF. Second, the information map and Lyapunov guidance vector field (LGVF) are used to design the corresponding nominal controllers in search mode and tracking mode, respectively. To minimize the difference between the actual controller and the nominal controller, the controller based on quadratic programming (QP) is proposed to achieve the target search and tracking on the premise of security. Finally, the simulation results verify the effectiveness of the proposed method.