A Novel Swarm-UAV Formation Tracking Control Based on Networked-MPC and Dual Quaternion Algebra

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Published: 2025-09-17
Updated: 2025-09-17
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2025-09-17 (3)
DOI: https://doi.org/10.5678/k45d9z63
Keywords:
Formation tracking control, DQ-Net-MPC, Swarm-UAV

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Dalia Kass Hanna
Department of Control Engineering and Automation, Faculty of Electrical and Electronics Engineering, University of Aleppo, Syria.
https://orcid.org/0009-0003-8560-3045
Bassem Fares
Department of Control Engineering and Automation, Faculty of Electrical and Electronics Engineering, University of Aleppo, Syria.
Abdulkader Joukhadar
Department of Mechatronics Engineering, Faculty of Electrical and Electronics Engineering, University of Aleppo, Syria.
https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2279-1125

Abstract

Notions of natural systems inspired the robotics and communication communities to develop a new path of research named "The Robotics Swarm Networked Control" to cooperatively handle vast areas of tasks well beyond a single robot's abilities. The cornerstone research topic in such systems is the formation tracking control. This article investigates a newly developed formation tracking control for a swarm of crewless aerial vehicles (swarm-UAV). The proposed controller is based on a model predictive control algorithm (MPC). The primary motivation for considering such a solution is the ability to handle constrained nonlinear multi-input multi-output systems (MIMO), such as swarm-UAV. To enable swarm-UAV to accurately track time-varying shapes in 3D space, dual quaternion algebra was proposed to model the swarm-UAV system, which provides a compact formula to represent the UAV's position and orientation without singularities. The proposed approach adopts graph theory to simulate the effects of the communication links between the UAVs. Simulation experiments for three scenarios using the CasADi package integrated with the MATLAB environment were conducted and discussed to highlight the effectiveness of the proposed controller for real-time implementation. Finally, some suggestions for future improvements and research lines are listed.

Article Details

Issue

Vol. 1 No. 1 (2025): August Issue

Section

Articles

Author Biographies

Dalia Kass Hanna , Department of Control Engineering and Automation, Faculty of Electrical and Electronics Engineering, University of Aleppo, Syria.

Prof. Dalia Kass Hanna has been a member of the engineering technical staff in the Department of Mechatronics Engineering since 2012. She obtained her BSc in Automation and Control from the Faculty of Electrical and Electronic Engineering, University of Aleppo. She got her MSc in Automation and Control from the University of Aleppo. Presently, she is a PhD candidate, and her main topic is Swarm Networking Robotics Systems.

Bassem Fares, Department of Control Engineering and Automation, Faculty of Electrical and Electronics Engineering, University of Aleppo, Syria.

Dr. Basem Fares has been an associate Professor of Robust and Advanced Optimal Control in the Department of Control Engineering and Automation, University of Aleppo, since 2001. In 1991, he earned his BSc(Honors) with first-class honors in Electrical and Electronic Engineering honors. In 1999, he got his DEA in Automatic Control Engineering from Poly-Technique Institute-Grenoble, France. In 2001, He got his PhD from the University of Toulouse III, France, focusing on Robust Control and Advanced Optimal Control Methodologies. With more than 25 years of experience in academia and research, Dr Fares has made vital contributions to robust and advanced optimal control. His research interests include nonlinear control systems, robust control systems, and Kalman Filtering. He has published numerous papers in prestigious journals and international conferences and actively collaborates with international researchers to advance the field of Robust Control Systems.

Abdulkader Joukhadar , Department of Mechatronics Engineering, Faculty of Electrical and Electronics Engineering, University of Aleppo, Syria.

Dr. Abdulkader Joukhadar has been a full chair Professor of Intelligent Control Systems in the Department of Mechatronics Engineering, University of Aleppo, since 2004. In 1992, he earned his BSc(Honors) first class in Electrical and Electronic Engineering; in 1999, he got his MPhil in Industrial Electronics and Control from the University of Birmingham, UK. In 1999, he joined the research group of Intelligent Motion Control Systems and Condition Monitoring at the University of Aberdeen in 2004. He got his PhD focusing on Intelligent Control Systems from the same university. With over two decades of experience in academia and research, Professor Joukhadar has significantly contributed to mechatronics, particularly in intelligent control systems and robotics, Unscented Kalman Filter, and Extended Kalman Filter. He is the head of the Integrated Mechatronics Systems Research Group and the director of the Intelligent Robotics Systems Lab at the University of Aleppo. His research interests include autonomous systems, robotics and robot control, Kalman Filtering, Swarm Networking, and the development of innovative control strategies for nonlinear control systems. Professor Joukhadar has published numerous papers in prestigious journals and international conferences and actively collaborates with international researchers to advance the Robotics and Intelligent Systems field.

How to Cite

A Novel Swarm-UAV Formation Tracking Control Based on Networked-MPC and Dual Quaternion Algebra. (2025). Research Journal of Maaref University of Applied Sciences, 1(1), pages 14. https://doi.org/10.5678/k45d9z63 (Original work published 2025)