Distributed finite-time consensus tracking for nonlinear multi-agent systems with a time-varying reference state

This paper investigates the consensus tracking problem for nonlinear multi-agent systems with a time-varying reference state. The consensus reference is taken as a virtual leader, whose output is only its position information that is available to only a subset of a group of followers. The dynamics of each follower consists of two terms: nonlinear inherent dynamics and a simple communication protocol relying only on the position of its neighbours. In this paper, the consensus tracking problem is respectively considered under fixed and switching communication topologies. Some corresponding sufficient conditions are obtained to guarantee the states of followers can converge to the state of the virtual leader in finite time. Rigorous proofs are given by using graph theory, matrix theory, and Lyapunov theory. Simulations are presented to illustrate the theoretical analysis.     

Distributed robust consensus control of multi-agent systems with heterogeneous matching uncertainties

This paper considers the distributed consensus problem of linear multi-agent systems subject to different matching uncertainties for both the cases without and with a leader of bounded unknown control input. Due to the existence of nonidentical uncertainties, the multi-agent systems discussed in this paper are essentially heterogeneous. For the case where the communication graph is undirected and connected, based on the local state information of neighboring agents, a fully distributed continuous adaptive consensus protocol is designed, under which the consensus error is uniformly ultimately bounded and exponentially converges to a small adjustable bounded set. For the case where there exists a leader whose control input is unknown and bounded, a distributed adaptive consensus protocol is proposed to ensure the boundedness of the consensus error. A sufficient condition for the existence of the proposed protocols is that each agent is stabilizable.     

Distributed output regulation for multi-agent systems with norm-bounded uncertainties

In this paper, we consider the distributed robust output regulation problem for multi-agent systems (MASs). It is involved with a group of heterogeneous high-order linear uncertain systems and an linear exosystem. The regulated output is a combination of the output of MAS and the exosystem, which is defined based on controlling demands. Distributed controllers are designed to ensure that the regulated output converges to the origin and meanwhile the closed-loop MAS is stable. The sufficient conditions for the solvability of distributed output regulation problem are given in terms of linear matrix inequalities. And algorithms are proposed to design distributed dynamic controllers with state feedback and output feedback, via the help of internal models. It is shown that, for any time-invariant norm-bounded uncertainties, the given controllers can realise the objective of output regulation.     

Cooperative global output regulation of heterogeneous second-order nonlinear uncertain multi-agent systems

In this paper, we study the cooperative global output regulation problem for a class of heterogeneous second order nonlinear uncertain multi-agent systems. We first introduce a type of distributed internal model that converts the cooperative global output regulation problem into the global robust stabilization problem of the so-called augmented multi-agent system. Then we further globally stabilize this augmented multi-agent system via a distributed state feedback control law, thus leading to the solution of the original problem. A special case of our result leads to the solution of the global leader-following consensus problem for the second order nonlinear multi-agent systems without satisfying the global Lipschitz condition.     

Distributed output regulation for linear multi-agent systems with communication delays

In this paper, a distributed output regulation approach is presented for the cooperative control of linear multi-agent systems in the presence of communication delays. Both dynamic state and output feedback control laws are designed for achieving the property of output regulation. Sufficient conditions for the existence of these control laws are provided in terms of linear matrix inequalities. Simulation results are given to support the efficiency of the proposed distributed output regulation approach.     

多智能体网络系统的自适应协调控制

为实现多智能体网络系统的协调控制,设计了一种新型的带有自适应协调器的控制器.基于动态图建立了多智能体网络系统的模型,并考虑了系统的非线性互联和不可避免存在的时变时滞.应用分布式控制策略,设计了自适应参数估计的协调器,用于调节智能体之间的互联强度,使网络达到稳定的预设水平.并基于Lyapunov-Kra-sovskii泛函和自适应动态偏差反馈控制技术,根据拉萨尔不变集原理证明了偏差控制系统的渐近收敛性.这种控制方法,可在系统参数不确定的情况下,同时完成参数估计和协调控制.所设计的控制律和自适应律简单,易于实现,仿真示例验证了所提方法的有效性.     

Robust output regulation for containment control of heterogeneous discrete-time nonlinear multi-agent systems

ABSTRACT

In existing researches on containment control of heterogeneous multi-agent systems (MASs), the solution is usually dependent on the solvability of regulator equations. However, the closed-form solution of many nonlinear regulator equations of systems is rarely obtained. Towards this end, in this paper the containment control problem of heterogeneous discrete-time nonlinear MASs subject to parameter uncertainties is considered, and the power series approach is adopted to solve complex regulator equations by decomposing them into a series of solvable linear equations. Then, a distributed robust control law based on internal model principle is presented by utilising the solution of the linear equations. Theoretical analysis shows that under certain assumptions asymptotic containment control is achieved for the heterogeneous discrete-time nonlinear MASs with sufficiently small parameter perturbations. Finally, a numerical simulation is implemented to verify the proposed control law.     

Swarm aggregations of heterogeneous multi-agent systems

This paper investigates the problem of swarm aggregations of heterogeneous multi-agent systems. Comparing with the existing studies on swarm aggregations of homogeneous multi-agent systems, this paper is much more resembling the practical situations, where the agents have different dynamics. We show that the heterogeneous agents will gather with a certain error under some assumptions and conditions. The stability properties have been proven by theoretical analysis and verified via numerical simulation. The stability of the heterogeneous multi-agent systems has been achieved based on matrix theory and the Lyapunov stability theorem. Numerical simulation is given to demonstrate the effectiveness of the theoretical result.     

Distributed adaptive output feedback tracking control for a class of uncertain nonlinear multi-agent systems

This paper addresses the distributed output feedback tracking control problem for multi-agent systems with higher order nonlinear non-strict-feedback dynamics and directed communication graphs. The existing works usually design a distributed consensus controller using all the states of each agent, which are often immeasurable, especially in nonlinear systems. In this paper, based only on the relative output between itself and its neighbours, a distributed adaptive consensus control law is proposed for each agent using the backstepping technique and approximation technique of Fourier series (FS) to solve the output feedback tracking control problem of multi-agent systems. The FS structure is taken not only for tracking the unknown nonlinear dynamics but also the unknown derivatives of virtual controllers in the controller design procedure, which can therefore prevent virtual controllers from containing uncertain terms. The projection algorithm is applied to ensure that the estimated parameters remain in some known bounded sets. Lyapunov stability analysis shows that the proposed control law can guarantee that the output of each agent synchronises to the leader with bounded residual errors and that all the signals in the closed-loop system are uniformly ultimately bounded. Simulation results have verified the performance and feasibility of the proposed distributed adaptive control strategy.     

Cooperative semi-global robust output regulation for a class of nonlinear uncertain multi-agent systems

In this paper, we study the cooperative semi-global robust output regulation problem for a class of minimum phase nonlinear uncertain multi-agent systems. This problem is a generalization of the leader-following tracking problem in the sense that it further addresses such issues as disturbance rejection, robustness with respect to parameter uncertainties. To solve this problem, we first introduce a type of distributed internal model that converts the cooperative semi-global robust output regulation problem into a cooperative semi-global robust stabilization problem of the so-called augmented system. We then solve the semi-global stabilization problem via distributed dynamic output control law by utilizing and combining a block semi-global backstepping technique, a simultaneous high gain feedback control technique, and a distributed high gain observer technique.     

A new finite-time cooperative control algorithm for uncertain multi-agent systems

In this paper, the problem of fixed-time consensus tracking control is investigated for multi-agent networks with input uncertain dynamics under the undirected graph. First, a nonsingular terminal sliding mode manifold is proposed, with which the convergence time is globally bounded irrelevant to initial states. Then, with the aid of the observer method and sliding mode technique, the distributed nonsingular controller is designed for the underlying system to ensure that the consensus tracking errors go into sliding mode manifold and converge to origin within a desired time. Finally, examples are presented to verify the validity of the new control strategy.     

Non-smooth finite-time stabilization for a class of nonlinear systems

Finite-time convergent control design via continuous time-invariant feedback laws has become the focal point of several recent studies. Based on the analysis of differential equations and homogeneity, continuous (and non-smooth) finite-time controllers vi…     

Stationary average consensus protocol for a class of heterogeneous high-order multi-agent systems with application for aircraft

This paper investigates the stationary average consensus problem for a class of heterogeneous-order multi-agent systems. The goal is to bring the positions of agents to the average of their initial positions while letting the other states converge to zero. To this end, three different consensus protocols are proposed. First, based on the auxiliary variables information among the agents under switching directed networks and state-feedback control, a protocol is proposed whereby all the agents achieve stationary average consensus. In the second and third protocols, by resorting to only measurements of relative positions of neighbouring agents under fixed balanced directed networks, two control frameworks are presented with two strategies based on state-feedback and output-feedback control. Finally, simulation results are given to illustrate the effectiveness of the proposed protocols.     

Global finite-time stabilisation of a class of switched nonlinear systems

This paper is concerned with the global finite-time stabilisation problem for a class of switched nonlinear systems under arbitrary switchings. All subsystems of the studied switched system under consideration are in lower triangular form. Based on the adding one power integrator technique, both a class of non-Lipschitz continuous state feedback controllers and a common Lyapunov function are simultaneously constructed such that the closed-loop switched system is global finite-time stable under arbitrary switchings. In the controller design process, a common coordinate transformation of all subsystems is exploited to avoid using individual coordinate transformations for subsystems. Finally, two examples are given to show the effectiveness of the proposed method.     

Global finite-time stabilization of a class of uncertain nonlinear systems

This paper studies the problem of finite-time stabilization for nonlinear systems. We prove that global finite-time stabilizability of uncertain nonlinear systems that are dominated by a lower-triangular system can be achieved by Hölder continuous state feedback. The proof is based on the finite-time Lyapunov stability theorem and the nonsmooth feedback design method developed recently for the control of inherently nonlinear systems that cannot be dealt with by any smooth feedback. A recursive design algorithm is developed for the construction of a Hölder continuous, global finite-time stabilizer as well as a C¹ positive definite and proper Lyapunov function that guarantees finite-time stability.     

Distributed optimal consensus of second-order multi-agent systems

Science China Information Sciences -     

Iterative learning approaches to design finite-time consensus protocols for multi-agent systems

In this paper, the finite-time output consensus problem of multi-agent systems is considered by using the iterative learning control (ILC) approach. Two classes of distributed protocols are constructed from the two-dimensional system point of view (with time step and iteration number as independent variables), and are termed as iterative learning protocols. If learning gains are chosen appropriately, then all agents in a directed graph can be enabled to achieve finite-time consensus with the iterative learning protocols. Moreover, all agents in a directed graph can be guaranteed to reach finite-time consensus at any desired terminal output if the iterative learning protocols are improved by introducing the desired terminal output to some (not necessarily all) of the agents. Simulation results are finally presented to illustrate the performance and effectiveness of our iterative learning protocols.     

Event-triggered distributed containment control of heterogeneous linear multi-agent systems by an output regulation approach

In this paper, the event-triggered distributed containment control of heterogeneous linear multi-agent systems in the output regulation framework is studied. The leaders are treated as exosystems and the containment control problem will be converted into an output regulation problem. An event-triggered protocol is then designed for each follower by the output information of neighbours. It is proved that the followers can asymptotically converge to the dynamic convex hull spanned by multiple leaders under the designed protocol and triggered strategy. Furthermore, it is shown that the proposed protocol and triggered condition can exclude Zeno behaviour, so the feasibility of the control strategy is verified. Finally, a numerical simulation is given to illustrate the effectiveness of the proposed protocol.     

Distributed control of heterogeneous systems

This work considers control design for distributed systems, where the controller is to adopt and preserve the distributed spatial structure of the nominal system. The specific feature of this work is that it does not require the underlying system dynamics to be homogeneous (shift invariant) with respect to spatial or temporal variables. Operator theoretic tools for working with these systems are developed, and lead to sufficient convex conditions for analysis and synthesis with respect to the /spl lscr//sub 2/-induced norm.     

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.