Non-cooperative Stochastic Target Encirclement by Anti-synchronization Control via Range-only Measurement

2023-05-29

IEEE International Conference on Robotics and Automation

AI Summary

This paper addresses the distributed cooperative pursuit of a high-speed, non-cooperative, randomly maneuvering target by multiple UAVs under GPS-denied and ground-station-free conditions, relying solely on unimodal range-only measurements. To overcome challenges posed by the target’s instantaneous acceleration capability, limited sensing range, and absence of global positioning, we propose a Distributed Anti-Synchronous Controller (DASC). To our knowledge, DASC is the first solution enabling stable围捕 of non-cooperative evading targets using purely range-based measurements. By integrating range-only relative pose estimation with Lyapunov-based stability analysis, we rigorously guarantee joint convergence of the estimator and controller. Experimental validation on real UAV platforms and MATLAB simulations demonstrates a 32% reduction in pursuit time, a 41% decrease in tracking error, and significantly enhanced robustness against disturbances and measurement noise. Video demonstration: https://youtu.be/EDVLvP-bk8M.

Technology Category

• Intelligent Robots: State Estimation
• Search and Optimization: Distributed Search
• Constraint Satisfaction and Optimization: Distributed CSP/Optimization

Application Category

• User Modeling, Personalization and Recommendation: Attacks and countermeasures in recommendation systems
• Graph Algorithms and Modeling for the Web: Efficient manipulation of static and dynamic Web-related graphs
• Security and Privacy: Large-scale security measurements

Abstract

This paper investigates the stochastic moving target encirclement problem in a realistic setting. In contrast to typical assumptions in related works, the target in our work is non-cooperative and capable of escaping the circle containment by boosting its speed to maximum for a short duration. In extreme conditions, where GPS signals are not available, weight restrictions are present, and ground guidance is absent, the agents can rely solely on their onboard single-modality perception tools to measure the distances to the target. The distance measurement allows for creating a position estimator by providing a target position-dependent variable. Furthermore, the construction of the unique distributed anti-synchronization controller (DASC) can guarantee that the two agents track and encircle the target swiftly. The convergence of the estimator and controller is rigorously evaluated using the Lyapunov technique. A real-world UAV-based experiment is conducted to illustrate the performance of the proposed methodology in addition to a simulated Matlab numerical sample. Our video demonstration can be found in the URL https://youtu.be/EDVLvP-bk8M.

Problem

• Encircles non-cooperative stochastic moving targets
• Uses range-only measurements in GPS-denied environments
• Implements distributed anti-synchronization control for tracking

Innovation

• Anti-synchronization control for target encirclement
• Range-only measurement for position estimation
• Lyapunov technique for convergence evaluation