Affine transformation based formation maneuvering for discrete-time directed networked systems

For the tracking control problems of affine formation maneuvers with discrete leader-following multi-agent systems, various distributed control schemes based on the directed graphs are designed in this paper. Consider the single and double-integrator models, different types of formation maneuvers can be achieved subject to the states of leaders with the novel characteristic of affine localizability. Meanwhile, the properties of affine transformation and signed Laplacian are introduced, which simplify the structures of controllers with distinct constraints to a great extent. Moreover, the convergence analysis of proposed protocols is proven. Static, constant and time-varying target formations can be tracked successfully. In the end, corresponding numerical simulations are carried out to certify the validity of theoretical results.

Maneuvering Angle Rigid Formations With Global Convergence Guarantees

Angle rigid multi-agent formations can simultaneously undergo translational,rotational,and scaling maneuvering,therefore combining the maneuvering capabilities of both distance and bearing rigid formations.However,maneuvering angle rigid formations in 2D or 3D with global convergence guarantees is shown to be a challenging problem in the existing literature even when relative position measurements are available.Motivated by angle-induced linear equations in 2D triangles and 3D tetrahedra,this paper aims to solve this challenging problem in both 2D and3D under a leader-follower framework.For the 2D case where the leaders have constant velocities,by using local relative position and velocity measurements,a formation maneuvering law is designed for the followers governed by double-integrator dynamics.When the leaders have time-varying velocities,a sliding mode formation maneuvering law is proposed by using the same measurements.For the 3D case,to establish an angle-induced linear equation for each tetrahedron,we assume that all the followers'coordinate frames share a common Z direction.Then,a formation maneuvering law is proposed for the followers to globally maneuver Z-weakly angle rigid formations in 3D.The extension to Lagrangian agent dynamics and the construction of the desired rigid formations by using the minimum number of angle constraints are also discussed.Simulation examples are provided to validate the effectiveness of the proposed algorithms.

New coordination scheme for multi-robot systems based on state space models

A new coordination scheme for multi-robot systems is proposed. A state space model of the multi- robot system is defined and constructed in which the system＇s initial and goal states are included along with the task definition and the system＇s internal and external constraints. Task accomplishment is considered a transition of the system state in its state space （SS） under the system＇s constraints. Therefore, if there exists a connectable path within reachable area of the SS from the initial state to the goal state, the task is realizable. The optimal strategy for the task realization under constraints is investigated and reached by searching for the optimal state transition trajectory of the robot system in the SS. Moreover, if there is no connectable path, which means the task cannot be performed Successfully, the task could be transformed to be realizable by making the initial state and the goal state connectable and finding a path connecting them in the system＇s SS. This might be done via adjusting the system＇s configuration and/or task constraints. Experiments of multi-robot formation control with obstacles in the environment are conducted and simulation results show the validity of the proposed method.