Overview
Multi-drone formation flight is a cutting-edge application of drone technology. In this project, you will learn how to implement multi-drone formation flight.
What You’ll Learn
- Formation control principles
- Leader-follower strategy
- Virtual structure method
- Behavioral method
Materials Needed
| Item | Quantity | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Three Fully Assembled Drones | 3 | - |
| Computer | 1 | With VS Code + ESP-IDF environment |
| USB Cables | 3 | For programming |
| Indoor Space | 1 | For flight testing |
Step 1: Understand Formation Control
Formation control is the process of maintaining specific geometric shapes among multiple drones during flight.
Common formation control strategies:
- Leader-follower
- Virtual structure
- Behavioral method
Step 2: Select Formation Control Strategy
Use leader-follower strategy, where Drone 1 acts as leader and Drones 2 and 3 act as followers.
Step 3: Implement Formation Control Algorithm
Drone 1 (Leader)
void leader_control() {
// Leader drone flies autonomously
// Send position information to followers
mesh_broadcast_position(current_x, current_y, current_z);
}Drone 2 and 3 (Followers)
void follower_control(float leader_x, float leader_y, float leader_z,
float offset_x, float offset_y, float offset_z) {
// 1. Calculate desired position: leader_pos + offset
float desired_x = leader_x + offset_x;
float desired_y = leader_y + offset_y;
float desired_z = leader_z + offset_z;
// 2. Use PID controller to calculate velocity commands
float vx = pid_controller(&pos_pid_x, desired_x, current_x);
float vy = pid_controller(&pos_pid_y, desired_y, current_y);
float vz = pid_controller(&pos_pid_z, desired_z, current_z);
// 3. Convert velocity commands to motor speeds
motorsSetRatio(MOTOR_M1, current_ratio + vx - vy + vz);
motorsSetRatio(MOTOR_M2, current_ratio - vx - vy + vz);
motorsSetRatio(MOTOR_M3, current_ratio - vx + vy + vz);
motorsSetRatio(MOTOR_M4, current_ratio + vx + vy + vz);
}Step 4: Compile, Flash and Test
- Flash code to three drones separately
- Test formation flight, observe if drones can maintain formation
Troubleshooting
Formation not stable
- Adjust PID parameters
- Increase communication frequency
Collision between drones
- Increase safety distance
- Add collision avoidance algorithm
Achievement
Congratulations! You have implemented multi-drone formation flight, which is a cutting-edge application of drone technology!
Next Steps
In the next project, you will learn how to integrate AI recognition and path planning to implement intelligent task execution.