Optimal Finite Time Cooperative Rendezvous for Multiple Vehicles
Rajeev S. Voleti, Kamesh Subbarao · 2024
This paper presents a novel solution for the cooperative, optimal multi-vehicle rendezvous problem, addressing both stationary and moving targets. The method employs a gain free, time-dependent optimal control problem for efficient vehicle convergence and adjusts optimal trajectories using a consensus protocol based on shared time-to-go information. Our two-stage approach involves (1) solving the optimal control problem for initial rendezvous trajectories, and (2) refining trajectories in real-time with a consensus-based adaptation protocol. The decentralized and scalable consensus algorithm leads to improved rendezvous performance. We also propose a centralized leader follower framework for objective based rendezvous in finite time. Numerical simulations demonstrate the method's effectiveness, superiority in convergence and adaptability, and the impact of communication topology on performance, providing valuable insights for practical implementation.