实现模块化无人机系统在复杂任务中的敏捷稳定飞行与自动连接分离。
MARS-Dragonfly: Agile and Robust Flight Control of Modular Aerial Robot Systems
- 构建可被动对接、磁力分离的紧凑机械结构，仅用一个微伺服完成多态操作。
- 提出等效力矩虚拟四旋翼模型，支持不同构型下统一控制，峰值俯仰达40度。
- 设计两阶段预测分配算法，生成平滑可执行的电机指令，定位误差均值0.0896米。
模块化空中机器人系统（MARS）由多个可重构连接的无人机单元组成，能适应多样任务场景、故障状态和载荷需求。但现有控制算法依赖简化准静态模型和规则分配，导致电机指令不连续且无界，随单元数量增加产生姿态误差累积，引发对接、分离及航点跟踪时严重振荡。为此，我们首先设计一种紧凑机械结构，实现被动对接、免检测自锁与磁力辅助分离，仅用一个微伺服完成。其次，提出力-扭矩等效与多面体约束的虚拟四旋翼模型，显式刻画可行合力/力矩集，完整捕捉MARS动力学特性，使现有四旋翼控制器可跨构型通用。进一步优化航向角以最大化控制能力，提升敏捷性。在此基础上，设计两阶段预测分配流程：约束预测追踪器在满足力/扭矩边界下计算虚拟输入，动态分配器将输入映射至各模块，兼顾均衡目标，生成平滑可追踪的电机指令。仿真覆盖超10种构型，真实实验验证了稳定对接、锁定与分离，以及有效控制性能。据我们所知，这是首个实现MARS在40度峰值俯仰下敏捷飞行与运输的实物演示，平均位置误差为0.0896米。
原文摘要 · Abstract (English)
Modular Aerial Robot Systems (MARS) comprise multiple drone units with reconfigurable connected formations, providing high adaptability to diverse mission scenarios, fault conditions, and payload capacities. However, existing control algorithms for MARS rely on simplified quasi-static models and rule-based allocation, which generate discontinuous and unbounded motor commands. This leads to attitude error accumulation as the number of drone units scales, ultimately causing severe oscillations during docking, separation, and waypoint tracking. To address these limitations, we first design a compact mechanical system that enables passive docking, detection-free passive locking, and magnetic-assisted separation using a single micro servo. Second, we introduce a force-torque-equivalent and polytope-constraint virtual quadrotor that explicitly models feasible wrench sets. Together, these abstractions capture the full MARS dynamics and enable existing quadrotor controllers to be applied across different configurations. We further optimize the yaw angle that maximizes control authority to enhance agility. Third, building on this abstraction, we design a two-stage predictive-allocation pipeline: a constrained predictive tracker computes virtual inputs while respecting force/torque bounds, and a dynamic allocator maps these inputs to individual modules with balanced objectives to produce smooth, trackable motor commands. Simulations across over 10 configurations and real-world experiments demonstrate stable docking, locking, and separation, as well as effective control performance. To our knowledge, this is the first real-world demonstration of MARS achieving agile flight and transport with 40 deg peak pitch while maintaining an average position error of 0.0896 m. The video is available at: https://youtu.be/yqjccrIpz5o
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