Cooperative Robust Output Regulation Problem for Discrete-Time Linear Time-Delay Multi-Agent Systems

In this paper, we study the cooperative robust output regulation problem for discrete-time linear multi-agent systems with both communication and input delays by distributed internal model approach. We first introduce the distributed internal model for discrete-time multi-agent systems with both communication and input delays. Then, we define so-called auxiliary system and auxiliary augmented system. Finally, we solve our problem by showing, under some standard assumptions, that if a distributed state feedback control or a distributed output feedback control solves the robust output regulation problem of the auxiliary system, then the same control law solves the cooperative robust output regulation problem of the original multi-agent systems.Comment: arXiv admin note: text overlap with arXiv:1508.0420

Internal Model Approach to Cooperative Robust Output Regulation for Linear Uncertain Time-Delay Multi-Agent Systems

In this paper, we study the cooperative robust output regulation problem for linear uncertain multi-agent systems with both communication delay and input delay by the distributed internal model approach. The problem includes the leader-following consensus problem of linear multi-agent systems with time-delay as a special case. We first generalize the internal model design method to systems with both communication delay and input delay. Then, under a set of standard assumptions, we have obtained the solution of the problem via both the state feedback control and the output feedback control. In contrast with the existing results, our results apply to general uncertain linear multi-agent systems, accommodate a large class of leader signals, and achieve the asymptotic tracking and disturbance rejection at the same time.Comment: 15 pages, 3 figure

Event-Triggered Cooperative Robust Practical Output Regulation for a Class of Linear Multi-Agent Systems

In this paper, we consider the event-triggered cooperative robust practical output regulation problem for a class of linear minimum-phase multi-agent systems. We first convert our problem into the cooperative robust practical stabilization problem of a well defined augmented system Based on the distributed internal model approach. Then, we design a distributed event-triggered output feedback control law together with a distributed output-based event-triggered mechanism to stabilize the augmented system, which leads to the solvability of the cooperative robust practical output regulation problem of the original plant. Our distributed control law can be directly implemented in a digital platform provided that the distributed triggering mechanism can monitor the continuous-time output information from neighboring agents. Finally, we illustrate our design by an example.Comment: This paper has been accepted for publication in Automatica on May 21, 201

The Cooperative Output Regulation Problem of Discrete-Time Linear Multi-Agent Systems by the Adaptive Distributed Observer

In this paper, we first present an adaptive distributed observer for a discrete-time leader system. This adaptive distributed observer will provide, to each follower, not only the estimation of the leader's signal, but also the estimation of the leader's system matrix. Then, based on the estimation of the matrix S, we devise a discrete adaptive algorithm to calculate the solution to the regulator equations associated with each follower, and obtain an estimated feedforward control gain. Finally, we solve the cooperative output regulation problem for discrete-time linear multi-agent systems by both state feedback and output feedback adaptive distributed control laws utilizing the adaptive distributed observer.Comment: 7 pages, 4 figure

Observer-based Adaptive Optimal Output Containment Control problem of Linear Heterogeneous Multi-agent Systems with Relative Output Measurements

This paper develops an optimal relative output-feedback based solution to the containment control problem of linear heterogeneous multi-agent systems. A distributed optimal control protocol is presented for the followers to not only assure that their outputs fall into the convex hull of the leaders' output (i.e., the desired or safe region), but also optimizes their transient performance. The proposed optimal control solution is composed of a feedback part, depending of the followers' state, and a feed-forward part, depending on the convex hull of the leaders' state. To comply with most real-world applications, the feedback and feed-forward states are assumed to be unavailable and are estimated using two distributed observers. That is, since the followers cannot directly sense their absolute states, a distributed observer is designed that uses only relative output measurements with respect to their neighbors (measured for example by using range sensors in robotic) and the information which is broadcasted by their neighbors to estimate their states. Moreover, another adaptive distributed observer is designed that uses exchange of information between followers over a communication network to estimate the convex hull of the leaders' state. The proposed observer relaxes the restrictive requirement of knowing the complete knowledge of the leaders' dynamics by all followers. An off-policy reinforcement learning algorithm on an actor-critic structure is next developed to solve the optimal containment control problem online, using relative output measurements and without requirement of knowing the leaders' dynamics by all followers. Finally, the theoretical results are verified by numerical simulations

Cooperative Global Robust Output Regulation for a Class of Nonlinear Multi-Agent Systems by Distributed Event-Triggered Control

This paper studies the event-triggered cooperative global robust output regulation problem for a class of nonlinear multi-agent systems via a distributed internal model design. We show that our problem can be solved practically in the sense that the ultimate bound of the tracking error can be made arbitrarily small by adjusting a design parameter in the proposed event-triggered mechanism. Our result offers a few new features. First, our control law is robust against both external disturbances and parameter uncertainties, which are allowed to belong to some arbitrarily large prescribed compact sets. Second, the nonlinear functions in our system do not need to satisfy the global Lipchitz condition. Thus our systems are general enough to include some benchmark nonlinear systems that cannot be handled by existing approaches. Finally, our control law is a specific distributed output-based event-triggered control law, which lends itself to a direct digital implementation.Comment: This paper has been submitted to a journal on July 17, 201

Robust Consensus Tracking of Heterogeneous Multi-Agent Systems under Switching Topologies

In this paper, we consider a robust consensus tracking problem of heterogeneous multi-agent systems with time-varying interconnection topologies. Based on common Lyapunov function and internal model techniques, both state and output feedback control laws are derived to solve this problem. The proposed design is robust by admitting some parameter uncertainties in the multi-agent system.Comment: 11 pages, 4 figures, accepte

Distributed Output Regulation for a Class of Nonlinear Multi-Agent Systems with Unknown-Input Leaders

In this paper, a distributed output regulation problem is formulated for a class of uncertain nonlinear multi-agent systems subject to local disturbances. The formulation is given to study a leader-following problem when the leader contains unknown inputs and its dynamics is different from those of the followers. Based on the conventional output regulation assumptions and graph theory, distributed feedback controllers are constructed to make the agents globally or semi-globally follow the uncertain leader even when the bound of the leader's inputs is unknown to the followers.Comment: 8 pages, 2 figure

Cooperative Control of Linear Multi-Agent Systems via Distributed Output Regulation and Transient Synchronization

A wide range of multi-agent coordination problems including reference tracking and disturbance rejection requirements can be formulated as a cooperative output regulation problem. The general framework captures typical problems such as output synchronization, leader-follower synchronization, and many more. In the present paper, we propose a novel distributed regulator for groups of identical and non-identical linear agents. We consider global external signals affecting all agents and local external signals affecting only individual agents in the group. Both signal types may contain references and disturbances. Our main contribution is a novel coupling among the agents based on their transient state components or estimates thereof in the output feedback case. This coupling achieves transient synchronization in order to improve the cooperative behavior of the group in transient phases and guarantee a desired decay rate of the synchronization error. This leads to a cooperative reaction of the group on local disturbances acting on individual agents. The effectiveness of the proposed distributed regulator is illustrated by a vehicle platooning example and a coordination example for a group of four non-identical 3-DoF helicopter models

Cooperative Output Regulation of Discrete-Time Linear Time-Delay Multi-agent Systems

In this paper, we study the cooperative output regulation problem for the discrete linear time-delay multi-agent systems by distributed observer approach. In contrast with the same problem for continuous-time linear time-delay multi-agent systems, the problem has two new features. First, in the presence of time-delay, the regulator equations for discrete-time linear systems are different from those for continuous-time linear systems. Second, under the standard assumption on the connectivity of the communication graph, a distributed observer for any continuous-time linear leader system always exists. However, this is not the case for discrete-time systems, and the behavior of a distributed observer is much more complicated. Thus, we will first study the existence of the discrete distributed observer, and then present the solvability of the problem by distributed dynamic output feedback control law