Virtual leader based path tracking control for Multi-UUV considering sampled-data delays and packet losses

The multi-UUV (Unmanned Underwater Vehicle) path tracking control methods in the cases of communication delay and packet loss under sampled-data discrete-time collection are studied in this paper, respectively. Firstly, the second-order affine form of UUV's nonlinear dynamic equations is given, and by using feedback linearization and direct discretization method the motion equations are transformed to sampled discrete-time dynamics. Secondly, the path tracking controllers of Multi-UUV based on the virtual leader are proposed in two cases. The sufficient conditions for the convergence of multi-UUV path tracking are given and analyzed by using the matrix theory and Shuler theory, respectively. Finally, the simulation experiments are presented to prove the effectiveness of the controller. Each UUV in the multi-UUV system can track the desired trajectories in the expected formation. •This paper proposes the consensus controllers for path tracking in the multi-UUV system considering the sampled-data delays and communication packet losses.•The sufficient conditions for the convergence of path tracking are given and analyzed.