Dynamic Event-Triggered-Based Finite-Time Distributed Tracking Control of Networked Multi-UAV Systems

The distributed tracking of multiple unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) is a hotspot due to its broad applications in various fields, while continuous communication among UAVs is often impractical, especially in time-sensitive tasks or environments with limited bandwidth. With this in mind, this paper presents a finite-time leader-following distributed tracking control scheme for general multi-agent systems, with a particular emphasis on its application for networked UAVs. Theoretically, a dynamic event-triggered mechanism is proposed, which features a novel finite-time stable dynamic variable within its triggering rule, ensuring that neither controller updates nor trigger detection requires continuous communication. This event-triggered finite-time controller facilitates efficient network resource management and timely mission response in UAV cooperation, enhancing adaptability to onboard wireless communication networks and time-sensitive tasks. The method allows for the customization of parameters in the internal dynamic variables to adjust the convergence rate and event-triggering frequency of the system, while also preventing Zeno behavior. Moreover, a Lyapunov-based analysis is conducted to theoretically verify the finite-time stability of the closed-loop system and its applicability in directed communication networks. Finally, some numerical simulations are performed to validate the effectiveness of the proposed distributed control scheme for networked multi-UAV systems.