Multi-UAV Synchronous Approaching Using Homotopy-Based Trajectory Planning

Synchronous approaching is an important capability for autonomous cooperation of multiple unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). In this paper, a homotopy-based trajectory planning method is presented for the multi-UAV synchronous approaching problem. A homotopic trajectory description is employed to construct the trajectory solution space of the UAVs. A novel onion-like homotopy structure is proposed to decouple the performance indexes of the trajectory planning problem. Local trajectory homotopy structures are designed based on the detouring model and the hovering model of UAV. The optimal trajectories for synchronous approaching are searched within the homotopy structures. Simulation results show how synchronous the UAVs are, by using the proposed homotopy-based trajectory planning method.