Collision Cone-Based Net Capture of a Swarm of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles

This paper addresses the problem of capturing a swarm of intruder unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) using a net manipulated by a team of defense UAVs. The intruder UAV swarm may be stationary, in motion, and even maneuver. The concept of collision cones in three-dimensional space is used to determine the strategy used by the net-carrying UAVs to maneuver or manipulate the net in space in order to capture the intruders. The manipulation of the net involves guiding the net to pursue the intruders and orienting it in space appropriately so as to maximize the effectiveness of capture. The net manipulation strategy is derived from the concept of collision cones defined in a relative velocity framework, and analytical expressions of nonlinear guidance laws are obtained. Simulations are presented to demonstrate the efficacy of these guidance laws.