关键词: 植保无人机编队, 喷施作业, 改进人工势场法, 路径规划, 滑模控制, 路径跟踪

Abstract:  In order to improve the spraying efficiency of plant protection UAV, a cooperative operation method of multiple plant protection UAV was proposed, and the improved artificial potential field path planning algorithm and sliding mode path tracking control strategy were designed. Firstly, the mathematical model and formation model of the plant protection UAVs are established. Then, the loop force is introduced into the artificial potential field method to address the local minimum problem, which applied to the path planning and obstacle avoidance. Finally, the sliding mode path tracking control law is designed for the motion model and attitude model of the plant protection UAV respectively, so as to ensure the accurate spray path tracking of the plant protection UAVs formation. The simulation results of five plant protection UAVs formation show that the improved artificial potential field method can quickly and accurately determine the smooth spraying path within 1.2 s. The sliding mode path control method can ensure the UAVs formation accurately to track the spraying path, and the maximum deviation error is only 0.12 m. The accuracy and practicability are better than those of adaptive control method. The actual measurement results show that the proposed method can effectively reduce the area of heavy spraying and missed spraying, which are 0.31% and 0.34% of the entire working area, respectively. The efficiency of unmanned aerial vehicle spraying is improved significantly by reducing working time to support the development of intelligent agriculture.

Key words: plant protection UAV formation, spraying operation, improved artificial potential field method, path planning, sliding mode control, path tracking