Coordination Variables, Coordination Functions, and Cooperative Timing Missions

This paper presents a solution strategy for achieving cooperative timing among teams of vehicles. Based on the notion of coordination variables and coordination functions, the strategy facilitates cooperative timing by requiring acceptably low levels of communication and computation. The application of the coordination variable/function approach to trajectory planning problems for teams of unmanned air vehicles with timing constraints is described. Three types of timing constraints are considered: simultaneous arrival, tight sequencing, and loose sequencing. Simulation results demonstrating the viability of the approach are presented.