Obstacle Avoidance Control of Multi-Parafoil Formation Based on Spatial Velocity Vector Method

Authors

  • Qi Chen Huai’an University – School of Electronic and Information Engineering – Department of Electronic and Information Engineering – Huaian/Jiangsu – China|Huai’an University – Institute of Artificial Intelligence and Autonomous Unmanned Systems – Huaian/Jiangsu – China. https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8154-6309
  • Xiao Cheng Ding Huai’an University – School of Electronic and Information Engineering – Department of Electronic and Information Engineering – Huaian/Jiangsu – China. https://orcid.org/0009-0002-1016-1476
  • Sheng Wang Huai’an University – School of Electronic and Information Engineering – Department of Electronic and Information Engineering – Huaian/Jiangsu – China. https://orcid.org/0009-0005-2915-7778
  • LiKe Zhao Jiangsu Keweida Intelligent Equipment Co., Ltd. – Jinhu/Jiangsu – China. https://orcid.org/0009-0006-1721-033X
  • Min Zhao Nanjing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics – College of Automation Engineering – Department of Instrument Science and Technology – Nanjing/Jiangsu – China. https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9602-1935

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.1590/jatm.v18.1441

Keywords:

Parafoils, Formation flying, Automatic flight control, Obstacle avoidance, Wind velocity

Abstract

The obstacle avoidance flight of unmanned parafoil formations in complex terrains and under wind disturbances is essential for the success of airdrop missions. This study develops a comprehensive dynamic model of the parafoil and constructs a three-dimensional mountainous simulation environment. An obstacle avoidance algorithm based on the spatial velocity vector method is proposed, which dynamically regulates the parafoil’s motion through traction, avoidance, and guidance velocity vectors, thereby achieving efficient obstacle avoidance in complex wind fields. By incorporating a consensus-based leader-follower formation control strategy, the parafoil formation maintains both geometric configuration and heading stability during obstacle avoidance maneuvers. Simulation results demonstrate that the proposed method effectively enables safe obstacle avoidance and stable formation flight under wind disturbances, confirming the effectiveness of the algorithm.


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Published

2026-07-20

Issue

Vol. 18 (2026)

Section

Original Paper

License

Copyright (c) 2026 Qi Chen, Xiao Cheng Ding, Sheng Wang, LiKe Zhao, Min Zhao

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This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

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