Formation Flying Architecture for Multi-UAV SAR Experiments

Kurzfassung

Distributed UAV-SAR systems provide a flexible framework for studying multistatic radar concepts and experimentally assessing advanced single-pass multi-baseline acquisition geometries. However, their practical implementation involves several challenges, including the need to accurately control the relative motion and distance between platforms during flight. This paper presents a formation flying architecture developed for DLRs Distributed UAV-SAR system with controlled relative geometry. The approach combines embedded autopilots with onboard companion computers that exchange state information and generate motion commands consistent with the required formation geometry. First validation is carried out by software-in-the-loop (SITL) simulations using a three-unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) straight-line acquisition scenario with prescribed along-track offsets and vertical separation. The results show stable flight path following and low tracking errors in both cross-track and along-track directions, providing an initial motion-control validation toward baseline-stable coherent multi-UAV synthetic aperture radar (SAR) acquisitions.