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Article

Safe Autonomous UAV Target-Tracking Under External Disturbance, Through Learned Control Barrier Functions

1
Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Virginia Tech, Blacksbrug, VA 24061, USA
2
Louisville Automation and Robotics Research Institute (LARRI), University of Louisville, Louisville, KY 40208, USA
*
Authors to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Robotics 2025, 14(8), 108; https://doi.org/10.3390/robotics14080108 (registering DOI)
Submission received: 25 June 2025 / Revised: 29 July 2025 / Accepted: 1 August 2025 / Published: 3 August 2025
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Applications of Neural Networks in Robot Control)

Abstract

Ensuring the safe operation of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) is crucial for both mission-critical and safety-critical tasks. In scenarios where UAVs must track airborne targets, they need to follow the target’s path while maintaining a safe distance, even in the presence of unmodeled dynamics and environmental disturbances. This paper presents a novel collision avoidance strategy for dynamic quadrotor UAVs during target-tracking missions. We propose a safety controller that combines a learning-based Control Barrier Function (CBF) with standard sliding mode feedback. Our approach employs a neural network that learns the true CBF constraint, accounting for wind disturbances, while the sliding mode controller addresses unmodeled dynamics. This unified control law ensures safe leader-following behavior and precise trajectory tracking. By leveraging a learned CBF, the controller offers improved adaptability to complex and unpredictable environments, enhancing both the safety and robustness of the system. The effectiveness of our proposed method is demonstrated through the AirSim platform using the PX4 flight controller.
Keywords: UAV traget tracking; Control Barrier Function (CBF); safe control UAV traget tracking; Control Barrier Function (CBF); safe control

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MDPI and ACS Style

Panja, P.; Rayguru, M.M.; Baidya, S. Safe Autonomous UAV Target-Tracking Under External Disturbance, Through Learned Control Barrier Functions. Robotics 2025, 14, 108. https://doi.org/10.3390/robotics14080108

AMA Style

Panja P, Rayguru MM, Baidya S. Safe Autonomous UAV Target-Tracking Under External Disturbance, Through Learned Control Barrier Functions. Robotics. 2025; 14(8):108. https://doi.org/10.3390/robotics14080108

Chicago/Turabian Style

Panja, Promit, Madan Mohan Rayguru, and Sabur Baidya. 2025. "Safe Autonomous UAV Target-Tracking Under External Disturbance, Through Learned Control Barrier Functions" Robotics 14, no. 8: 108. https://doi.org/10.3390/robotics14080108

APA Style

Panja, P., Rayguru, M. M., & Baidya, S. (2025). Safe Autonomous UAV Target-Tracking Under External Disturbance, Through Learned Control Barrier Functions. Robotics, 14(8), 108. https://doi.org/10.3390/robotics14080108

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