Temporal Waypoint Navigation of Multi-UAV Payload System using Barrier Functions

TL;DR

This paper presents a control framework for multi-UAV payload systems to achieve temporal waypoint navigation using barrier functions and STL, validated through high-fidelity simulations.

Contribution

It introduces a novel approach combining HOCBFs and input-output linearization for temporal waypoint navigation of multi-UAV payloads.

Findings

Effective control law achieved accurate waypoint navigation.

Real-time implementation demonstrated in Gazebo simulation.

Handles complex temporal specifications with safety guarantees.

Abstract

Aerial package transportation often requires complex spatial and temporal specifications to be satisfied in order to ensure safe and timely delivery from one point to another. It is usually efficient to transport versatile payloads using multiple UAVs that can work collaboratively to achieve the desired task. The complex temporal specifications can be handled coherently by applying Signal Temporal Logic (STL) to dynamical systems. This paper addresses the problem of waypoint navigation of a multi-UAV payload system under temporal specifications using higher-order time-varying control barrier functions (HOCBFs). The complex nonlinear system of relative degree two is transformed into a simple linear system using input-output feedback linearization. An optimization-based control law is then derived to achieve the temporal waypoint navigation of the payload. The controller's efficacy and real-time implementability are demonstrated by simulating a package delivery scenario inside a high-fidelity Gazebo simulation environment.