Time-varying formation control for multi-agent systems applied to n-trailer configuration

Abstract

This paper focusses on the design and analysis of a control strategy that allows multi-agent robots systems to track a predetermined trajectory whilst they achieve time-varying formation. The strategies are based on artificial potential functions and the leader-follower scheme. The control laws herein are decentralized since it is assumed that the agents have no knowledge of the goals of the other agents and can sense position and velocity of some agents only. The analysis is applied to the kinematic model of unicycle-type robots, where the output function to control is a point outside the robot's wheels axis. The control law proposed in the paper allows to emulate the standard and generalized n-trailer kinematics.