Distributed robust model predictive control-based formation-containment tracking control for autonomous underwater vehicles

The autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV) formation may be carried out in a complex maritime environment. The formation-containment tracking problem is faced with challenges due to limited input saturation and maritime safety constraints. Based on communication-measurement union, a navigation control integration framework is proposed to solve the poor observability of underwater acoustic communication interactions. Moreover, a control protocol based on distributed robust model predictive control is designed to efficiently coordinate cooperation between AUVs. With the proof of the Lyapunov theory, the proposed control method can achieve formation-containment tracking even in the presence of external disturbances. Finally, a 7-AUV formation-containment tracking numerical simulation is designed to verify the effectiveness of the proposed method. •The navigation control integration framework based on communication-measurement union is introduced to address the challenges of poor observability and difficulty in underwater acoustic communication interaction.•The proposed method efficiently coordinates cooperation between AUVs, considering actuator saturation and marine safety regulations constraints, which enables formation-containment tracking.•Using Lyapunov theory, it is proven that the proposed control method can achieve formation-containment tracking even in the presence of external disturbances. This demonstrates its effectiveness in real-world scenarios.