Dynamical improvement of network connectivity for multi-robot robustness using perturbed algebraic connectivity

Abstract

This paper proposes a distributed control law to improve network connectivity in cases some robots tend to breakdown or power-off. Although high node-connectivity engages connectedness against robotic-nodes failure, keeping high connectivity restricts configuration space of the multirobot system and disturbs some cooperative tasks. So here we consider that the network structure has to be robustified only when frangible robots appear. We employ a perturbed algebraic connectivity which we proposed in previous studies, and compose a control law to meet the control objective in this study. Numerical simulations show validities and utilities of the control law.