Cooperative formation control algorithm of a generic multi-agent system applicable for multi-autonomous surface vehicles

Abstract

This paper presents a study of distributed cooperative formation control of a generic multiple agent robots which is applicable for underwater system application such as multiple-autonomous surface vehicles (ASV). The control objective of the group of ASV agent is to maintain a certain formation in a predefined geometric pattern, notably a symmetric formation shape. In addition, the centroid of this to-be-sustained formation is to follow a designated leader agent whose dynamics resembles that of its followers. The contribution made in this paper is the introduction of an adaptive law capable of adjusting the strength of the state consensus control. Despite of partial information available to subset of agents, the formation control objective can still be achieved. The control scheme features a robustification term owed by a signum function which forces the state consensus error to zero. The control scheme is verified through numerical simulation which shows convergence of state consensus error to zero.