Distributed Obstacle and Multi-Robot Collision Avoidance in Uncertain Environments

This paper tackles the distributed leader-follower (L-F) control problem for heterogeneous mobile robots in unknown environments requiring obstacle avoidance, inter-robot collision avoidance, and reliable robot communications. To prevent an inter-robot collision, we employ a virtual propulsive force between robots. For obstacle avoidance, we present a novel distributed Negative-Imaginary (NI) variant formation tracking control approach and a dynamic network topology methodology which allows the formation to change its shape and the robot to switch their roles. In the case of communication or sensor loss, a UAV, controlled by a Strictly-Negative-Imaginary (SNI) controller with good wind resistance characteristics, is utilized to track the position of the UGV formation using its camera. Simulations and indoor experiments have been conducted to validate the proposed methods

Cooperative decentralized circumnavigation with application to algal bloom tracking

Harmful algal blooms occur frequently and deteriorate water quality. A reliable method is proposed in this paper to track algal blooms using a set of autonomous surface robots. A satellite image indicates the existence and initial location of the algal bloom for the deployment of the robot system. The algal bloom area is approximated by a circle with time varying location and size. This circle is estimated and circumnavigated by the robots which are able to locally sense its boundary. A multi-agent control algorithm is proposed for the continuous monitoring of the dynamic evolution of the algal bloom. Such algorithm comprises of a decentralized least squares estimation of the target and a controller for circumnavigation. We prove the convergence of the robots to the circle and in equally spaced positions around it. Simulation results with data provided by the SINMOD ocean model are used to illustrate the theoretical results

Distributed Particle Filter Implementation with Intermittent/Irregular Consensus Convergence

Motivated by non-linear, non-Gaussian, distributed multi-sensor/agent navigation and tracking applications, we propose a multi-rate consensus/fusion based framework for distributed implementation of the particle filter (CF/DPF). The CF/DPF framework is based on running localized particle filters to estimate the overall state vector at each observation node. Separate fusion filters are designed to consistently assimilate the local filtering distributions into the global posterior by compensating for the common past information between neighbouring nodes. The CF/DPF offers two distinct advantages over its counterparts. First, the CF/DPF framework is suitable for scenarios where network connectivity is intermittent and consensus can not be reached between two consecutive observations. Second, the CF/DPF is not limited to the Gaussian approximation for the global posterior density. A third contribution of the paper is the derivation of the exact expression for computing the posterior Cramer-Rao lower bound (PCRLB) for the distributed architecture based on a recursive procedure involving the local Fisher information matrices (FIM) of the distributed estimators. The performance of the CF/DPF algorithm closely follows the centralized particle filter approaching the PCRLB at the signal to noise ratios that we tested.Comment: Revised Version Submitted to IEEE Transaction on Signal Processin

Decentralized Ergodic Control: Distribution-Driven Sensing and Exploration for Multi-Agent Systems

We present a decentralized ergodic control policy for time-varying area coverage problems for multiple agents with nonlinear dynamics. Ergodic control allows us to specify distributions as objectives for area coverage problems for nonlinear robotic systems as a closed-form controller. We derive a variation to the ergodic control policy that can be used with consensus to enable a fully decentralized multi-agent control policy. Examples are presented to illustrate the applicability of our method for multi-agent terrain mapping as well as target localization. An analysis on ergodic policies as a Nash equilibrium is provided for game theoretic applications.Comment: 8 pages, Accepted for publication in IEEE Robotics and Automation Letter

Cooperative Set Aggregation for Multiple Lagrangian Systems

In this paper, we study the cooperative set tracking problem for a group of Lagrangian systems. Each system observes a convex set as its local target. The intersection of these local sets is the group aggregation target. We first propose a control law based on each system's own target sensing and information exchange with neighbors. With necessary connectivity for both cases of fixed and switching communication graphs, multiple Lagrangian systems are shown to achieve rendezvous on the intersection of all the local target sets while the vectors of generalized coordinate derivatives are driven to zero. Then, we introduce the collision avoidance control term into set aggregation control to ensure group dispersion. By defining an ultimate bound on the final generalized coordinate between each system and the intersection of all the local target sets, we show that multiple Lagrangian systems approach a bounded region near the intersection of all the local target sets while the collision avoidance is guaranteed during the movement. In addition, the vectors of generalized coordinate derivatives of all the mechanical systems are shown to be driven to zero. Simulation results are given to validate the theoretical results

Bounded Distributed Flocking Control of Nonholonomic Mobile Robots

There have been numerous studies on the problem of flocking control for multiagent systems whose simplified models are presented in terms of point-mass elements. Meanwhile, full dynamic models pose some challenging problems in addressing the flocking control problem of mobile robots due to their nonholonomic dynamic properties. Taking practical constraints into consideration, we propose a novel approach to distributed flocking control of nonholonomic mobile robots by bounded feedback. The flocking control objectives consist of velocity consensus, collision avoidance, and cohesion maintenance among mobile robots. A flocking control protocol which is based on the information of neighbor mobile robots is constructed. The theoretical analysis is conducted with the help of a Lyapunov-like function and graph theory. Simulation results are shown to demonstrate the efficacy of the proposed distributed flocking control scheme

Task-space coordinated tracking of multiple heterogeneous manipulators via controller-estimator approaches

This paper studies the task-space coordinated tracking of a time-varying leader for multiple heterogeneous manipulators (MHMs), containing redundant manipulators and nonredundant ones. Different from the traditional coordinated control, distributed controller-estimator algorithms (DCEA), which consist of local algorithms and networked algorithms, are developed for MHMs with parametric uncertainties and input disturbances. By invoking differential inclusions, nonsmooth analysis, and input-to-state stability, some conditions (including sufficient conditions, necessary and sufficient conditions) on the asymptotic stability of the task-space tracking errors and the subtask errors are developed. Simulation results are given to show the effectiveness of the presented DCEA.Comment: 17 pages, 7 figures, Journal of the Franklin Institut

A unified framework of fully distributed adaptive output time-varying formation control for linear multi-agent systems: an observer viewpoint

This paper presents a unified framework of time-varying formation (TVF) design for general linear multi-agent systems (MAS) based on an observer viewpoint from undirected to directed topology, from stabilization to tracking and from a leader without input to a one with bounded input. The followers can form a TVF shape which is specified by piecewise continuously differential vectors. The leader's trajectory, which is available to only a subset of followers, is also time-varying. For the undirected formation tracking and directed formation stabilization cases, only the relative output measurements of neighbors are required to design control protocols; for the directed formation tracking case, the agents need to be introspective (i.e. agents have partial knowledge of their own states) and the output measurements are required. Furthermore, considering the real applications, the leader with bounded input case is studied. One main contribution of this paper is that fully distributed adaptive output protocols, which require no global information of communication topology and do not need the absolute or relative state information, are proposed to solve the TVF control problem. Numerical simulations including an application to nonholonomic mobile vehicles are provided to verify the theoretical results.Comment: 21 page

Multi-Agent Distributed Coordination Control: Developments and Directions

In this paper, the recent developments on distributed coordination control, especially the consensus and formation control, are summarized with the graph theory playing a central role, in order to present a cohesive overview of the multi-agent distributed coordination control, together with brief reviews of some closely related issues including rendezvous/alignment, swarming/flocking and containment control.In terms of the consensus problem, the recent results on consensus for the agents with different dynamics from first-order, second-order to high-order linear and nonlinear dynamics, under different communication conditions, such as cases with/without switching communication topology and varying time-delays, are reviewed, in which the algebraic graph theory is very useful in the protocol designs, stability proofs and converging analysis. In terms of the formation control problem, after reviewing the results of the algebraic graph theory employed in the formation control, we mainly pay attention to the developments of the rigid and persistent graphs. With the notions of rigidity and persistence, the formation transformation, splitting and reconstruction can be completed, and consequently the range-based formation control laws are designed with the least required information in order to maintain a formation rigid/persistent. Afterwards, the recent results on rendezvous/alignment, swarming/flocking and containment control, which are very closely related to consensus and formation control, are briefly introduced, in order to present an integrated view of the graph theory used in the coordination control problem. Finally, towards the practical applications, some directions possibly deserving investigation in coordination control are raised as well.Comment: 28 pages, 8 figure