Distributed Robust Dynamic Average Consensus with Dynamic Event-Triggered Communication

This paper presents the formulation and analysis of a fully distributed dynamic event-triggered communication based robust dynamic average consensus algorithm. Dynamic average consensus problem involves a networked set of agents estimating the time-varying average of dynamic reference signals locally available to individual agents. We propose an asymptotically stable solution to the dynamic average consensus problem that is robust to network disruptions. Since this robust algorithm requires continuous communication among agents, we introduce a novel dynamic event-triggered communication scheme to reduce the overall inter-agent communications. It is shown that the event-triggered algorithm is asymptotically stable and free of Zeno behavior. Numerical simulations are provided to illustrate the effectiveness of the proposed algorithm

Distributed average tracking for multiple reference signals with general linear dynamics

This technical note studies the distributed average tracking problem for multiple time-varying signals with general linear dynamics, whose reference inputs are nonzero and not available to any agent in the network. In distributed fashion, a pair of continuous algorithms with, respectively, static and adaptive coupling strengths are designed. Based on the boundary layer concept, the proposed continuous algorithm with static coupling strengths can asymptotically track the average of the multiple reference signals without chattering phenomenon. Furthermore, for the case of algorithms with adaptive coupling strengths, the average tracking errors are uniformly ultimately bounded and exponentially converge to a small adjustable bounded set. Finally, a simulation example is presented to show the validity of the theoretical results

Distributed Average Tracking for Double-integrator Multi-agent Systems with Reduced Requirement on Velocity Measurements

This paper addresses distributed average tracking for a group of physical double-integrator agents under an undirected graph with reduced requirement on velocity measurements. The idea is that multiple agents track the average of multiple time-varying input signals, each of which is available to only one agent, under local interaction with neighbors. We consider two cases. First, a distributed discontinuous algorithm and filter are proposed, where each agent needs the relative positions between itself and its neighbors and its neighbors' filter outputs obtained through communication but the requirement for either absolute or relative velocity measurements is removed. The agents' positions and velocities must be initialized correctly, but the algorithm can deal with a wide class of input signals with bounded acceleration deviations. Second, a distributed discontinuous algorithm and filter are proposed to remove the requirement for communication and accurate initialization. Here each agent needs to measure the relative position between itself and its neighbors and its own velocity but the requirement for relative velocity measurements between itself and its neighbors is removed. The algorithm can deal with the case where the input signals and their velocities and accelerations are all bounded. Numerical simulations are also presented to illustrate the theoretical results

Distributed Average Tracking for Second-order Agents with Nonlinear Dynamics

This paper addresses distributed average tracking of physical second-order agents with nonlinear dynamics, where the interaction among the agents is described by an undirected graph. In both agents' and reference inputs' dynamics, there is a nonlinear term that satisfying the Lipschitz-type condition. To achieve the distributed average tracking problem in the presence of nonlinear term, a non-smooth filter and a control input are designed for each agent. The idea is that each filter outputs converge to the average of the reference inputs and the reference velocities asymptotically and in parallel each agent's position and velocity are driven to track its filter outputs. To overcome the nonlinear term unboundedness effect, novel state-dependent time varying gains are employed in each agent's filter and control input. In the proposed algorithm, each agent needs its neighbors' filters outputs besides its own filter outputs, absolute position and absolute velocity and its neighbors' reference inputs and reference velocities. Finally, the algorithm is simplified to achieve the distributed average tracking of physical second-order agents in the presence of an unknown bounded term in both agents' and reference inputs' dynamics.Comment: 6 pages, conferenc

Distributed Average Tracking of Heterogeneous Physical Second-order Agents With No Input Signals Constraint

This paper addresses distributed average tracking of physical second-order agents with heterogeneous nonlinear dynamics, where there is no constraint on input signals. The nonlinear terms in agents' dynamics are heterogeneous, satisfying a Lipschitz-like condition that will be defined later and is more general than the Lipschitz condition. In the proposed algorithm, a control input and a filter are designed for each agent. Each agent's filter has two outputs and the idea is that the first output estimates the average of the input signals and the second output estimates the average of the input velocities asymptotically. In parallel, each agent's position and velocity are driven to track, respectively, the first and the second outputs. Having heterogeneous nonlinear terms in agents' dynamics necessitates designing the filters for agents. Since the nonlinear terms in agents' dynamics can be unbounded and the input signals are arbitrary, novel state-dependent time-varying gains are employed in agents' filters and control inputs to overcome these unboundedness effects. Finally the results are improved to achieve the distributed average tracking for a group of double-integrator agents, where there is no constraint on input signals and the filter is not required anymore. Numerical simulations are also presented to illustrate the theoretical results

Distributed Average Tracking for Lipschitz-Type Nonlinear Dynamical Systems

In this paper, a distributed average tracking problem is studied for Lipschitz-type nonlinear dynamical systems. The objective is to design distributed average tracking algorithms for locally interactive agents to track the average of multiple reference signals. Here, in both the agents' and the reference signals' dynamics, there is a nonlinear term satisfying the Lipschitz-type condition. Three types of distributed average tracking algorithms are designed. First, based on state-dependent-gain designing approaches, a robust distributed average tracking algorithm is developed to solve distributed average tracking problems without requiring the same initial condition. Second, by using a gain adaption scheme, an adaptive distributed average tracking algorithm is proposed in this paper to remove the requirement that the Lipschitz constant is known for agents. Third, to reduce chattering and make the algorithms easier to implement, a continuous distributed average tracking algorithm based on a time-varying boundary layer is further designed as a continuous approximation of the previous discontinuous distributed average tracking algorithms

Distributed Average Tracking for Multiple Signals Generated by Linear Dynamical Systems: An Edge-based Framework

This paper studies the distributed average tracking problem for multiple time-varying signals generated by linear dynamics, whose reference inputs are nonzero and not available to any agent in the network. In the edge-based framework, a pair of continuous algorithms with, respectively, static and adaptive coupling strengths are designed. Based on the boundary layer concept, the proposed continuous algorithm with static coupling strengths can asymptotically track the average of multiple reference signals without the chattering phenomenon. Furthermore, for the case of algorithms with adaptive coupling strengths, average tracking errors are uniformly ultimately bounded and exponentially converge to a small adjustable bounded set. Finally, a simulation example is presented to show the validity of theoretical results.Comment: accepted in press, Automatica 2016. arXiv admin note: substantial text overlap with arXiv:1312.744

Dynamic Average Consensus under Limited Control Authority and Privacy Requirements

This paper introduces a novel continuous-time dynamic average consensus algorithm for networks whose interaction is described by a strongly connected and weight-balanced directed graph. The proposed distributed algorithm allows agents to track the average of their dynamic inputs with some steady-state error whose size can be controlled using a design parameter. This steady-state error vanishes for special classes of input signals. We analyze the asymptotic correctness of the algorithm under time-varying interaction topologies and characterize the requirements on the stepsize for discrete-time implementations. We show that our algorithm naturally preserves the privacy of the local input of each agent. Building on this analysis, we synthesize an extension of the algorithm that allows individual agents to control their own rate of convergence towards agreement and handle saturation bounds on the driving command. Finally, we show that the proposed extension additionally preserves the privacy of the transient response of the agreement states and the final agreement value from internal and external adversaries. Numerical examples illustrate the results.Comment: 44 page

Distributed Convex Optimization for Continuous-Time Dynamics with Time-Varying Cost Function

In this paper, a time-varying distributed convex optimization problem is studied for continuous-time multi-agent systems. Control algorithms are designed for the cases of single-integrator and double-integrator dynamics. Two discontinuous algorithms based on the signum function are proposed to solve the problem in each case. Then in the case of double-integrator dynamics, two continuous algorithms based on, respectively, a time-varying and a fixed boundary layer are proposed as continuous approximations of the signum function. Also, to account for inter-agent collision for physical agents, a distributed convex optimization problem with swarm tracking behavior is introduced for both single-integrator and double-integrator dynamics

On Event Triggered Tracking for Nonlinear Systems

In this paper we study an event based control algorithm for trajectory tracking in nonlinear systems. The desired trajectory is modelled as the solution of a reference system with an exogenous input and it is assumed that the desired trajectory and the exogenous input to the reference system are uniformly bounded. Given a continuous-time control law that guarantees global uniform asymptotic tracking of the desired trajectory, our algorithm provides an event based controller that not only guarantees uniform ultimate boundedness of the tracking error, but also ensures non-accumulation of inter-execution times. In the case that the derivative of the exogenous input to the reference system is also uniformly bounded, an arbitrarily small ultimate bound can be designed. If the exogenous input to the reference system is piecewise continuous and not differentiable everywhere then the achievable ultimate bound is constrained and the result is local, though with a known region of attraction. The main ideas in the paper are illustrated through simulations of trajectory tracking by a nonlinear system.Comment: 8 pages, 3 figures. Includes proofs for all result