Consensus of networked multi-agent systems with communication delays based on the networked predictive control scheme

The consensus problem of discrete-time networked multi-agent systems (NMASs) with a communication delay is investigated in this article, where the dynamics of agents described by discrete-time linear time-invariant systems can be either uniform or non-uniform. For the NMASs with a directed topology and constant delay, a novel protocol based on the networked predictive control scheme is proposed to compensate for communication delay actively. Using algebraic graph theories and matrix theories, necessary and/or sufficient conditions of achieving consensus are obtained, which indicates that, under the proposed protocol, the consensus is independent of the network delay and only dominated by agents' dynamics and communication topology. Meanwhile, the protocol design and consensus analysis are also presented in the case of no network delay. Simulation results are further presented to demonstrate the effectiveness of theoretical results.     

Coordination of Networked Nonlinear Multi-Agents Using a High-Order Fully Actuated Predictive Control Strategy

This paper is concerned with the coordinative control problem of networked nonlinear multi-agents (NNM) with communication delays. A high-order fully actuated (HOFA) model is introduced to describe the nonlinear multi-agents. Based on this model, a HOFA predictive coordination method is proposed to compensate for the communication delays actively and achieve simultaneous stability and consensus. This method largely simplifies the design of networked nonlinear multi-agents and makes the control performance be same for networked nonlinear multi-agents with and without communication delays. The analysis on the closed-loop systems derives the simultaneous stability and consensus criteria of networked nonlinear multi-agents using the HOFA predictive coordination method. With the presented way of designing HOFA predictive coordination controllers, a simulated example demonstrates the advantages of the proposed method.      

Tracking Control of Multi-Agent Systems Using a Networked Predictive PID Tracking Scheme

With the rapid development of network technology and control technology, a networked multi-agent control system is a key direction of modern industrial control systems, such as industrial Internet systems. This paper studies the tracking control problem of networked multi-agent systems with communication constraints, where each agent has no information on the dynamics of other agents except their outputs. A networked predictive proportional integral derivative (PPID) tracking scheme is proposed to achieve the desired tracking performance, compensate actively for communication delays, and simplify implementation in a distributed manner. This scheme combines the past, present and predictive information of neighbour agents to form a tracking error signal for each agent, and applies the proportional, integral, and derivative of the agent tracking error signal to control each individual agent. The criteria of the stability and output tracking consensus of multi-agent systems with the networked PPID tracking scheme are derived through detailed analysis on the closed-loop systems. The effectiveness of the networked PPID tracking scheme is illustrated via an example.      

An output formation consensus control for leader–follower networked multi-agent systems under communication constraints and switching topologies

In this paper, the formation consensus problem for a class of leader–follower networked multi-agent systems under communication constraints and switching topologies is investigated. A networked predictive control scheme is proposed to achieve stability and output formation consensus with the switching topology, capable of compensating for data loss and time delays in the network. By equating the whole closed-loop networked multi-agent system with the proposed control scheme to the corresponding switched system, the sufficient and necessary condition of output formation consensus and stability for agents is given. Finally, using three-degree-of-freedom air-bearing spacecraft simulators as the control objects, the proposed scheme is demonstrated to be able to actively compensate for the communication constraints through numerical simulations, and it is also verified to have a good control performance by further realizing the formation task of the simulators through practical experiments.     

Consensus tracking of linear multi-agent systems under networked observability conditions

This paper addresses the consensus tracking problem for both continuous- and discrete-time linear multi-agent systems with a dynamic leader under networked observability conditions. Among followers, the communication topology is assumed to be undirected and connected. Two networked observability conditions are introduced and discussed. The first one extends the traditional detectability condition for a single system, while the second one is a full rank condition, which is stronger than the first one. In the continuous-time case, two distributed observer-based protocols are designed under corresponding networked observability conditions, respectively. Specifically, the second protocol is an adaptive one, which has a better robustness performance than the first one. In the discrete-time case, a distributed observer-based protocol is presented under the full rank networked observability condition. It is found that under the networked observability conditions, consensus tracking can still be achieved even if there exists no follower being able to track the leader independently. Based on algebraic graph theory and Lyapunov stability theory, some sufficient conditions are derived for reaching consensus tracking. Finally, simulation examples are presented to verify the effectiveness of theoretical results.     

Asynchronous sampled-data consensus of singular multi-agent systems based on event-triggered strategy

This paper is concerned with sampled-data consensus for multi-agent systems with singular dynamics. It is assumed that the sampling period of each agent is independent of the other's. Based on event-triggered sampled-data transmission strategy, a distributed consensus protocol is presented. The consensus of singular multi-agent system is transformed into the stability of singular systems with multiple time-varying delays. By employing the Lyapunov-Krasovskii functional method, a sufficient condition on the consensus of multi-agent singular system is derived. Based on the obtained condition, an algorithm to design consensus controller gains is presented in terms of linear matrix inequalities. Two numerical examples are given to show the effectiveness of the proposed method.     

基于一类连续非线性函数的多智能体系统有限时间一致性

针对存在时滞的多智能体系统,提出了基于一类连续非线性函数的有限时间一致性算法.利用Lyapunov有限时间稳定性理论和矩阵理论,给出了这类算法使得系统能够在有限时间内达到一致的充分条件,进而给出了一个满足条件的有限时间一致性算法,并对该算法的收敛性进行分析,得到了系统的收敛时间.数值仿真验证了所提出算法的有效性.     

具有多传输通道系统的网络化预测控制

本文研究了一类具有多传输通道网络化系统的控制问题,基于网络化预测控制方法,提出了一种改进型的分布式预测补偿方式,从而更有效地利用反馈数据来提高控制系统的性能.对闭环网络化预测控制系统进行分析,得到其稳定性条件,特别地,在模型精确已知和多传输通道的时延为定常的情况下,该条件将会退化为本地控制的闭环系统稳定性条件.上述结论的好处是网络化预测控制系统中状态观测器和控制器的设计可以参考本地控制.通过球杆系统算例验证本文所提方法的正确性和有效性.     

具有时变通信受限非线性信息物理系统的网络化预测控制

针对具有时变通信受限的一类非线性信息物理系统,本文采用网络化预测控制策略,对于时变通信时延和数据丢失,不是使用常规的被动方式抑制,而是进行主动补偿.为了使补偿时变通信受限的方式简单、主动和通用,提出了一种新颖的网络化非线性预测控制方法.所设计的网络化非线性预测控制器能达到具有与无网络的本地闭环控制系统完全相同的期望控制...     

Joining consensus of networked multi-agent systems with nonlinear couplings and weighting constraints

This paper studies the joining consensus of networked multi-agent systems subject to nonlinear couplings and weighted directed graphs via pinning control. A weighted-average consensus protocol is proposed to achieve the collective decision by interacting with the local information of some pinned agents. By proposing a novel joining consensus protocol, average consensus and general consensus strategies are joined to achieve an agreement for the weighting networked system. Furthermore, by calculating a proper consensus gain and using finite control Lyapunov controllers, an efficient joining consensus protocol is presented to improve the consensus speed. Sufficient conditions for achieving the consensuses asymptotically are proved. Finally, theoretical results are validated via simulations.     

Impulsive consensus seeking in directed networks of multi-agent systems with communication time delays

In this article, we consider average consensus problem in directed delayed networked multi-agent systems having impulsive effects with fixed topology and stochastic switching topology. A simple impulsive consensus protocol for such networks is proposed, and some generic criteria for solving the average consensus problem are analytically derived. It is shown that a directed delayed networked multi-agent system can achieve average consensus globally exponentially with suitable impulsive gain and impulsive interval. Subsequently, two typical illustrative examples, along with computer simulation results, are provided to visualise the effectiveness and feasibility of our theoretical results.     

Predictive Consensus for Networked Multi‐Agent Systems with Switching Topology and Variable Delay

This paper investigates consensus problems of networked linear time invariant (LTI) multi‐agent systems, subject to variable network delays and switching topology. A new protocol is proposed for such systems with matrix B that has full row rank, based on stochastic, indecomposable, aperiodic (SIA) matrix and the predictive control scheme. With the predictive scheme the network delay is compensated. Consensus analysis based on the seminorm is provided. The conditions are obtained for such systems with periodic switching topology to reach consensus. The proposed protocol can deal with time‐varying delays, switching topology, and an unstable mode. The numerical examples demonstrate the effectiveness of the theoretical results.     

Global bounded consensus of multi-agent systems with non-identical nodes and communication time-delay topology

This article investigates the global bounded consensus problem of networked multi-agent systems exhibiting nonlinear, non-identical node dynamics with communication time-delays. Globally bounded consensus conditions for both delay-independent and delay-dependent conditions based on the Lypunov–Krasovskii functional method are derived. The proposed consensus criteria ensures that all agents eventually move along the desired trajectories in the sense of boundedness. The proposed consensus criteria generalises the case of identical agent dynamics to the case of non-identical agent dynamics, and many related results in this area can be viewed as special cases of the above results. We finally demonstrate the effectiveness of the theoretical results by means of a numerical simulation.     

Consensus problem of heterogeneous multi-agent systems with time delay under fixed and switching topologies

Consensus problem is investigated for heterogeneous multi-agent systems composed of first-order agents and second-order agents in this paper. Leader-following consensus protocol is adopted to solve consensus problem of heterogeneous multi-agent systems with time-varying communication and input delays. By constructing Lyapunov-Krasovkii functional, sufficient consensus conditions in linear matrix inequality(LMI) form are obtained for the system under fixed interconnection topology. Moreover, consensus conditions are also obtained for the heterogeneous systems under switching topologies with time delays. Simulation examples are given to illustrate effectiveness of the results.     

基于能量整形方案实现具有通讯时滞欠驱动Euler-Lagrange网络的一致性

本文主要基于能量整形方案研究具有通讯时滞网络化欠驱动Euler-Lagrange (EL)系统的一致性问题,通过利用阻尼注入和互连分配的无源控制(PBC)技术,在有向连通网络拓扑下提出了一个简单的分布式协议,来实现在无引导者和有引导者-跟随者两种情形下欠驱动EL网络的一致性. 本文提出的一致性能量整形方案的主要特点是有机地整合了系统欠驱动和驱动部分以及控制器三部分能量作为整个系统的总能量,这个总能量被利用作为一个合适的Lyapunov函数,它能够充分确保网络化欠驱动EL系统达到所期望的分布式一致性. 最后,通过由欠驱动EL网络所描述柔性关节机械臂系统的数值模拟,来分析通讯时滞对一致性的效应和验证所提出控制算法的正确性.     

带有不确定时变延时的有向网络多智能体平均一致性研究

针对带有不确定时变通信延时的有向网络多智能体系统的平均一致性问题,本文首先深入分析了弱连接且平衡的固定/切换拓扑特性.然后,通过分解系统状态变量,建立了初始系统的降维综合模型.考虑降维模型带有不确定时变延时,基于Jensen's不等式和最近提出的新型互凸方法,得到了系统平均一致性的充分条件,特别是,给出了与目前研究结果相比具有更小保守性的时变通信延时上界.最后,数值仿真验证了提出方法的可行性和有效性.     

Improved stability conditions for discrete‐time systems under dynamic network protocols

This paper deals with the stability of discrete‐time networked systems with multiple sensor nodes under dynamic scheduling protocols. Access to the communication medium is orchestrated by a weighted try‐once‐discard or by an independent and identically‐distributed stochastic protocol that determines which sensor node can access the network at each sampling instant and transmit its corresponding data. Through a time‐delay approach, a unified discrete‐time hybrid system with time‐varying delays in the dynamics and in the reset conditions is formulated under both scheduling protocols. Then, a new stability criterion for discrete‐time systems with time‐varying delays is proposed by the discrete counterpart of the second‐order Bessel‐Legendre integral inequality. The developed approach is applied to guarantee the stability of the resulting discrete‐time hybrid system model with respect to the full state under try‐once‐discard or independent and identically‐distributed scheduling protocol. The communication delays can be larger than the sampling intervals. Finally, the efficiency of the presented approach is illustrated by a cart‐pendulum system.     

Stochastic consensus of double-integrator leader-following multi-agent systems with measurement noises and time delays

This paper studies a leader-following consensus problem of continuous-time double-integrator multi-agent systems with measurement noises and time-varying communication delays under directed topology. By utilising the neighbour position and velocity information, which are delayed and disturbed by measurement noises whose intensities are considered a function related to the neighbour position and velocity of agents, a distributed consensus protocol is presented, sufficient conditions of the tracking consensus in the sense of mean square are derived. Finally, the effectiveness of the proposed consensus protocol is proved by some simulations.     

Consensus problem of networked multi-agent systems with constant communication delay: stochastic switching topology case

This article proposes an observer-based control strategy for networked multi-agent systems with constant communication delay and stochastic switching topology. First, using the system transformation method, the mean-square consensus problem of multi-agent systems can be converted into the mean-square stability problem of an equivalent system, and some equivalent conditions concerning the mean-square consensus are presented. Then, an example is given to illustrate that the connection weights should be regarded as the parameters to be designed, since they have a great effect on the mean-square consensus of multi-agent systems. By choosing appropriate connection weights, the mean-square consensus problem can be converted into the mean-square stabilisation problem of N-1 delay systems with stochastic switching signal, whose related observer-based stabilisability criteria can be established in the form of linear matrix inequalities (LMIs). Furthermore, if the LMIs are feasible, the multi-agent systems achieve mean-square consensus if and only if the union of graphs in the switching topology set has a directed spanning tree. Finally, numerical simulations are given to illustrate our results.     

Error-transformation-based consensus algorithms of multi-agent systems: connectivity-preserving approach

This paper investigates distributed connectivity-preserving consensus problems of networked multi-agent systems with limited communication ranges. Compared with existing literature, a main contribution of this paper is to present a new nonlinear transformation approach of consensus errors for preserving the initial interaction patterns of multi-agent systems. Both the consensus and the connectivity preservation can be achieved by using one transformed error function. Based on the proposed nonlinear error transformation, we derive distributed connectivity-preserving consensus algorithms for single-integrator dynamics, double-integrator dynamics and second-order nonlinear systems. The asymptotic stability of consensus errors and the connectivity preservation among agents are established through Lyapunov stability analysis.