A local flocking algorithm of multi-agent dynamic systems

In this paper, the local flocking of multi-agent systems is investigated, which means all agents form some groups of surrounding multiple targets with the partial information exchange. For the purpose of realising local multi-flocking, a control algorithm of local flocking is proposed, which is a biologically inspired approach that assimilates key characteristics of flocking and anti-flocking. In the process of surrounding mobile targets through the control algorithm, all agents can adaptively choose between two work modes to depend on the variation of visual field and the number of pursuing agents with the mobile target. One is a flocking pursuing mode which is that some agents pursue each mobile target, the other is an anti-flocking searching mode that means with the exception of the pursing agents of mobile targets, other agents respectively hunt for optimal the mobile target with a closest principle between the agent and the target. In two work modes, the agents are controlled severally via the different control protocol. By the Lyapunov theorem, the stability of the second-order multi-agent system is proven in detail. Finally, simulation results verify the effectiveness of the proposed algorithm.     

Multiagent flocking with formation in a constrained environment

We consider the problem of controlling a group of mobile agents to form a designated formation while flocking within a constrained environment. We first propose a potential field based method to drive the agents to move in connection with their neighbors, and regulate their relative positions to achieve the specific formation. The communication topology is preserved during the motion. We then extend the method to flocking with environmental constraints. Stability properties are analyzed to guarantee that all agents eventually form the desired formation while flocking, and flock safely without collision with the environment boundary. We verify our algorithm through simulations on a group of agents performing maximum coverage flocking and traveling through an unknown constrained environment.     

一种目标监测的移动传感器网络覆盖分布式优化算法

针对移动传感器网络中目标监测的节点部署问题,为保证在无覆盖漏洞的同时减少覆盖冗余,以六边形棋盘结构(HTL)为网络的目标部署结构,提出一种基于群集控制的分布式部署算法.该方法只需目标的相对方向和邻居节点的相对位置、速度信息,可不依赖于通信.仿真结果表明,所提出的算法对静止和运动目标均有效,与基于虚拟力的算法相比所需信息更少,部署更均匀,对HTL的逼近效果更好,覆盖更优.     

Adaptive Flocking Control with a Minority of Informed Agents

In this paper, we address the flocking problem of multiple dynamic mobile agents with a virtual leader in a dynamic proximity network. To avoid fragmentation, we propose a novel flocking algorithm that consists of both an adaptive controller for followers and a feedback controller for the virtual leader. Based on our algorithm, all agents in the group can form a network, maintain connectivity, and track the virtual leader, even when only a minority of agents have access to the information of the virtual leader. Finally, several convincing simulation results are provided that demonstrate 2‐D flocking of a group of agents using the proposed algorithm.     

移动传感器网络中目标跟踪与监测的同步优化

针对移动传感器网络(Mobile sensor networks, MSNs)中动态目标(事件源)的监测优化问题, 为提高网络覆盖质量, 建立基于Voronoi剖分的监测性能(Quality of monitoring, QoM)评价函数, 提出基于群集控制的传感器节点部署分布式控制算法. 每个节点在本地结合最小二乘法和一致性算法来估计目标相对位置. 相比传统算法, 本文算法只需本地和单跳通信(可观测)邻居的信息, 从而减小通信时长和能耗. 算法在提高以目标为中心的一定区域监测性能的同时, 使全体传感器速度趋于一致, 从而在尽量保持网络拓扑结构的同时减少了整体移动能耗. 在目标匀速或目标加速度信息全网可知的情况下, 全体传感器速度渐近收敛至目标速度, 且监测性能收敛至局部最优. 所采用的目标位置估计滤波算法计算简单、切实可行.     

基于蜂拥控制的移动传感器网络目标跟踪算法

针对移动传感器网络中的目标跟踪问题, 以及现有控制策略在保持网络拓扑结构连通性和降低能量消耗方面存在的不足, 提出一种基于蜂拥控制的移动传感器网络目标跟踪算法. 首先, 利用网络中部分节点检测目标, 并使用卡尔曼一致性滤波算法估计目标的状态, 在获得比较精确的估计状态的同时降低能量消耗; 然后, 在蜂拥控制下传感器网络始终保持拓扑结构连通性和目标对网络可见, 同时避免节点之间发生碰撞. 仿真结果验证了所提出算法的有效性.

     

融合沿墙行为的多移动机器人有序化多模态群集运动控制

一类基于势场原理的群集控制理论正逐步应用于多agent(智能体)/机器人稳定协同运动中.针对群集运动系统在非规则障碍物环境中运行时易出现的局部极小问题,引入基于行为的机器人学理念,构成多移动机器人多模态群集控制系统.在此框架内,仿生的动物沿端行为与有序化群集运动控制策略相融合,实现了多移动机器人系统快速聚合行为与高效避障行为的统一.移动机器人仿真实验验证了该方法的有效性.     

多智能体多目标跟踪算法研究

研究了多智能体同时跟踪多个目标的群集算法,采用智能体的编号对目标数求余数的方法来确定各个智能体的跟踪目标。对于势场函数,根据智能体目标是否相同建立了两种势场函数,并在此基础上确定动态系统的控制输入,使相同目标的智能体在跟踪目标的过程中形成群集,而不同目标的智能体相互分离;用李亚普诺夫稳定性理论分析了算法的收敛性。仿真结果表明,所提算法可有效解决多目标跟踪问题。     

Dynamic target tracking and observing in a mobile sensor network

This paper presents novel approaches to (1) the problem of flocking control of a mobile sensor network to track and observe a moving target and (2) the problem of sensor splitting/merging to track and observe multiple targets in a dynamic fashion. First, to deal with complex environments when the mobile sensor network has to pass through a narrow space among obstacles, we propose an adaptive flocking control algorithm in which each sensor can cooperatively learn the network’s parameters to decide the network size in a decentralized fashion so that the connectivity, tracking performance and formation can be improved. Second, for multiple dynamic target tracking, a seed growing graph partition (SGGP) algorithm is proposed to solve the splitting/merging problem. To validate the adaptive flocking control we tested it and compared it with the regular flocking control algorithm. For multiple dynamic target tracking, to demonstrate the benefit of the SGGP algorithm in terms of total energy and time consumption when sensors split, we compared it with the random selection (RS) algorithm. Several experimental tests validate our theoretical results.     

Stable Flocking Motion of Mobile Agents Following a Leader in Fixed and Switching Networks

Multiple mobile agents with double integrator dynamics, following a leader to achieve a flocking motion formation, are studied in this paper. A class of local control laws for a group of mobile agents is proposed. Prom a theoretical proof, the following conclusions are reached: (i) agents globally align their velocity vectors with a leader, (ii) they converge their velocities to the leaders velocity, (iii) collisions among interconnected agents are avoided, and (iv) agent's artificial potential functions are minimized. We model the interaction and/or communication relationship between agents by algebraic graph theory. Stability analysis is achieved by using classical Lyapunov theory in a fixed network topology, and differential inclusions and nonsmooth analysis in a switching network topology respectively. Simulation examples are provided.     

Hybrid Control for Connectivity Preserving Flocking

In this technical note, we address the combined problem of motion and network topology control in a group of mobile agents with common objective the flocking behavior of the group. Instead of assuming network connectivity, we enforce it by means of distributed topology control that decides on both deletion and creation of communication links between agents, adapting the network to the group's spatial distribution. With this protocol ensuring network connectivity, a decentralized motion controller aligns agent velocity vectors and regulates inter-agent distances to maintain existing network links. The stability of the flocking controller is established in continuous time by means of an observability argument on a quadratic form of the graph Laplacian that exploits the time delay between link deletion and creation caused by the topology control protocol, which induces a dwell time between network switches.      

Flocking of Multi-agent Systems with Unknown Nonlinear Dynamics and Heterogeneous Virtual Leader

This paper investigates the flocking control of multi-agent systems with unknown nonlinear dynamics while the virtual leader information is heterogeneous. The uncertain nonlinearity in the virtual leader information is considered, and the weaker constraint on the velocity information measurements is assumed. In addition, a bounded assumption on the unknown nonlinear dynamics is also considered. It is weaker than the Lipschitz condition adopted in the most flocking control methods. To avoid fragmentation, we construct a new potential function based on the penalty idea when the initial network is disconnected. A dynamical control law including a adjust parameter is designed to achieve the stable flocking. It is proven that the velocities of all agents approach to consensus and no collision happens between the mobile agents. Finally, several simulations verify the effectiveness of the new design, and indicate that the proposed method has high convergence and the broader applicability in practical applications with more stringent restrictions.

     

一类有序化多移动机器人群集运动控制系统

群集运动控制(flocking control)是一种新型的多移动机器人运动协调控制, 目前的研究多集中于无leader模式下群集运动控制器的设计. 为此, 本文阐述了一类多移动机器人有序化群集运动系统控制方案及其性能评价方法. 首先, 在前人的研究基础上, 本文介绍了基于Agent的有序化编队控制机制; 然后, 运用非完整约束下移动机器人的动力学原理, 设计了由Agent到移动机器人的控制转化方法; 并进一步提出了基于“最小稳定时间”的群集运动分析法, 可对有序化群集运动系统进行分析; 最后, 运用仿真实例, 描述了多移动机器人有序化群集运动的控制及分析过程. 实验结果验证了此控制方案的有效性.     

A connectivity-preserving flocking algorithm for multi-agent systems based only on position measurements

Most existing flocking algorithms rely on information about both relative position and relative velocity among neighbouring agents. In this article, we investigate the flocking problem with only position measurements. We propose a provably-stable flocking algorithm, in which an output vector is produced by distributed filters based on position information alone but not velocity information. Under the assumption that the initial interactive network is connected, the flocking algorithm not only can steer a group of agents to a stable flocking motion, but also can preserve the connectivity of the interactive network during the dynamical evolution. Moreover, we investigate the flocking algorithm with a virtual leader and show that all agents can asymptotically attain a desired velocity even if only one agent in the team has access to the information of the virtual leader. We finally show some numerical simulations to illustrate the theoretical results.     

Voronoi-based coverage control with anisotropic sensors and experimental case study

In this paper, we investigate coverage control problem for mobile sensor networks. The novelty is to consider an anisotropic sensor model whose performance depends not only on the distance but also on the orientation to a target point. By adapting Lloyd algorithm, a distributed control law is derived. Aside from coverage, we also show that the control law guarantees collision avoidance between the agents. The performance of the control laws is demonstrated through not only numerical simulation but also experiments on a mobile robot test bed.     

Flocking of Multi-Agents With a Virtual Leader

All agents being informed and the virtual leader traveling at a constant velocity are the two critical assumptions seen in the recent literature on flocking in multi-agent systems. Under these assumptions, Olfati-Saber in a recent IEEE Transactions on Automatic Control paper proposed a flocking algorithm which by incorporating a navigational feedback enables a group of agents to track a virtual leader. This paper revisits the problem of multi-agent flocking in the absence of the above two assumptions. We first show that, even when only a fraction of agents are informed, the Olfati-Saber flocking algorithm still enables all the informed agents to move with the desired constant velocity, and an uninformed agent to also move with the same desired velocity if it can be influenced by the informed agents from time to time during the evolution. Numerical simulation demonstrates that a very small group of the informed agents can cause most of the agents to move with the desired velocity and the larger the informed group is the bigger portion of agents will move with the desired velocity. In the situation where the virtual leader travels with a varying velocity, we propose modification to the Olfati-Saber algorithm and show that the resulting algorithm enables the asymptotic tracking of the virtual leader. That is, the position and velocity of the center of mass of all agents will converge exponentially to those of the virtual leader. The convergent rate is also given.      

Flocking for multi-agent systems with optimally rigid topology based on information weighted Kalman consensus filter

This paper investigates the leader-follower flocking problem of multi-agent systems. The leader with input noise is estimated by a proposed continuous-time information weighted Kalman consensus filter (IWKCF) for agents. A novel distributed flocking algorithm based on the IWKCF is further presented to make agents achieve flocking to the leader. It is shown that the proposed flocking algorithm based on the continuous-time IWKCF is asymptotically stable. Applying the topology optimization scheme, the communication complexity of system topologies of multi-agent systems is effectively reduced. Finally, simulations are provided to demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed results.     

A grid-based coverage approach for target tracking in hybrid sensor networks

Most existing work on the coverage problem of wireless sensor networks focuses on improving the coverage of the whole sensing field. In target tracking, the interested coverage area is the emerging region of a motorized target, not the whole sensing field. As the motorized target moves, the emerging region is also dynamically changed. In this paper, we propose a grid-based and distributed approach for providing large coverage for a motorized target in a hybrid sensor network. The large coverage is achieved by moving mobile sensor nodes in the network. To minimize total movement cost, the proposed approach needs to solve the following problems: the minimum number of mobile sensor nodes used for healing coverage holes and the best matching between mobile sensor nodes and coverage holes. In the proposed approach, the above two problems are first transformed into the modified circle covering and minimum cost flow problems, respectively. Then, two polynomial-time algorithms are presented to efficiently solve these two modified graph problems, respectively. Finally, we perform simulation experiments to show the effectiveness of proposed approach in providing the coverage for a motorized target in a hybrid sensor network.     

Flocking with connectivity preservation for disturbed nonlinear multi-agent systems by output feedback

This paper considers the problem of flocking with connectivity preservation for a class of disturbed nonlinear multi-agent systems. In order to deal with the nonlinearities in the dynamic of all agents, some auxiliary variables are introduced into the state observer for stability analysis. By proposing a bounded potential function and using adaptive theory, a novel output feedback consensus algorithm is developed to guarantee that the states of all agents achieve flocking with connectivity preservation.     

Flocking for multi-agent dynamic systems: algorithms and theory

In this paper, we present a theoretical framework for design and analysis of distributed flocking algorithms. Two cases of flocking in free-space and presence of multiple obstacles are considered. We present three flocking algorithms: two for free-flocking and one for constrained flocking. A comprehensive analysis of the first two algorithms is provided. We demonstrate the first algorithm embodies all three rules of Reynolds. This is a formal approach to extraction of interaction rules that lead to the emergence of collective behavior. We show that the first algorithm generically leads to regular fragmentation, whereas the second and third algorithms both lead to flocking. A systematic method is provided for construction of cost functions (or collective potentials) for flocking. These collective potentials penalize deviation from a class of lattice-shape objects called /spl alpha/-lattices. We use a multi-species framework for construction of collective potentials that consist of flock-members, or /spl alpha/-agents, and virtual agents associated with /spl alpha/-agents called /spl beta/- and /spl gamma/-agents. We show that migration of flocks can be performed using a peer-to-peer network of agents, i.e., "flocks need no leaders." A "universal" definition of flocking for particle systems with similarities to Lyapunov stability is given. Several simulation results are provided that demonstrate performing 2-D and 3-D flocking, split/rejoin maneuver, and squeezing maneuver for hundreds of agents using the proposed algorithms.