Determining control parameters for formation of multiple UAVs

A controller device for controlling flight of a formation comprising at least two Unmanned Aerial Vehicles, UAVs, physically connected to each other, the controller device comprising:

• a processor;
• and
• a memory storing instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the controller device to:
• determine UAVs located on ground, wherein the UAVs are rigidly connected to each other with a fixed distance between each other, when forming part of, and maintaining a formation;
• control each one of the UAV to perform a respective lift off procedure in sequence, while maintaining the formation and the fixed distance between each other, each lift off procedure comprising that a respective UAV lifts off ground after which it lands on ground all while the other one or more UAVs remain on ground during each lift off procedure;
• acquire, concurrently with each lift off procedure, when a respective UAV lifts off ground, inertial data from Inertial Measurement Units, IMUs, of each one of the UAVs of the formation;
• estimate UAV connection parameters for each possible pair of UAVs of the formation based on the inertial data, acquired concurrently with each lift off procedure, the UAV connection parameter comprising at least one of relative orientation, absolute orientations and distance between the UAVs of the pair;
• and
• control flight of each UAV of the formation, based on the connection parameters, estimated during the lift off procedures, while maintaining the formation.

A computer program for controlling flight of a formation comprising at least two Unmanned Aerial Vehicles, UAVs, physically connected to each other, the computer program comprising computer program code which, when run on a controller device causes the controller device to:

• determine UAVs located on ground, wherein the UAVs are rigidly connected to each other with a fixed distance between each other, when forming part of, and maintaining a formation;
• control each one of the UAV to perform a respective lift off procedure in sequence, while maintaining the formation and the fixed distance between each other, each lift off procedure comprising that a respective UAV lifts off ground after which it lands on ground all while the other one or more UAVs remain on the ground during each lift off procedure;
• acquire, concurrently with each lift off procedure, when a respective UAV lifts off ground, inertial data from Inertial Measurement Units, IMUs, of each one of the UAVs of the formation;
• estimate UAV connection parameters for each possible pair of UAVs of the formation based on the inertial data, acquired concurrently with each lift off procedure, the UAV connection parameter comprising at least one of relative orientation, absolute orientations and distance between the UAVs of the pair;
• and
• control flight of each UAV of the formation based on the connection parameters, estimated during the lift off procedures, while maintaining the formation.