Formation shape control with distance and area constraints. (30th September 2017)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Anderson, Brian D.O.; Sun, Zhiyong; Sugie, Toshiharu; Azuma, Shun-ichi; Sakurama, Kazunori
• Is Part Of: IFAC journal of systems and control. Volume 1(2017)
• Page Start: 2
• Page End: 12
• Publication Date: 2017-09-30
• Subjects: Rigid formation -- Signed area -- Shape control -- Multi-agent system; Automatic control -- Periodicals; Relay control systems -- Periodicals; Embedded computer systems -- Periodicals; Feedback control systems -- Periodicals; Artificial intelligence -- Periodicals; Artificial intelligence; Automatic control; Embedded computer systems; Feedback control systems; Relay control systems; Electronic journals; Periodicals; 629.89
• DOI: 10.1016/j.ifacsc.2017.05.001
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 2468-6018

Abstract

Abstract: This paper discusses a formation control problem in which a target formation is defined with both distance and signed area constraints. The control objective is to drive spatially distributed agents to reach a unique target rigid formation shape (up to rotation and translation) with desired inter-agent distances. We define a new potential function by incorporating both distance terms and signed area terms and derive the formation system as a gradient system from the potential function. We start with a triangle formation system with detailed analysis on the equilibrium and convergence property with respect to a weighting gain parameter. For an equilateral triangle example, analytic solutions describing agents' trajectories are also given. We then examine the four-agent double-triangle formation and provide conditions to guarantee that both triangles converge to the desired side distances and signed areas.