A Composite Model for Vehicle Formation and Path Selection on a Cellular Structured Map

Abstract

A new framework for multiple vehicle system modeling and control is proposed in this paper, emphasizing team behavior in a multilevel, multiresolutional way. This framework integrates issues like team formation and path following, so that tasks can easily be allocated to individual and teams of vehicles. The movement of the leader is modeled as a discrete state system within a cellular map, and the movement of the follower is modeled as a hybrid system, including the leader-follower interface. The advantage of this model framework is that it abstracts the main features of the dynamics of multiple vehicle systems in high dimensional spaces into one-dimensional cellular space, and simplifies and extends the model of followers. As an illustration of issues that need to be addressed carefully in the proposed framework, the concept of sharp turns or switch backs, is defined and a switch-back avoidance algorithm presented.