A new consensus-based formation tracking scheme for a class of robotic systems using negative imaginary property. Issue 1 (2022)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Bhowmick, Parijat; Ganguly, Arijit; Sen, Sawan
• Is Part Of: IFAC-PapersOnLine. Volume 55:Issue 1(2022)
• Page Start: 685
• Page End: 690
• Publication Date: 2022
• Subjects: Negative imaginary systems -- Integral controllability -- Eigenvalue loci -- Formation tracking -- Multi-robot systems -- Fault-tolerance; Automatic control -- Periodicals; 629.805
• DOI: 10.1016/j.ifacol.2022.04.112
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 2405-8963

Abstract

Abstract: This brief proposes a consensus-based formation tracking scheme for multi-robot systems utilising the Negative Imaginary (NI) theory. The proposed scheme applies to a class of networked robotic systems that can be modelled as a group of single integrator agents with stable uncertainties connected via an undirected graph. NI/SNI property of networked agents facilitates the design of a distributed Strictly Negative Imaginary (SNI) controller to achieve the desired formation tracking. A new theoretical proof of asymptotic convergence of the formation tracking trajectories is derived based on the integral controllability of networked NI/SNI systems. The proposed scheme is an alternative to the conventional Lyapunov-based formation tracking schemes. It offers robustness to NI/SNI-type model uncertainties and fault-tolerance to a sudden loss of robots due to hardware/communication fault. The feasibility and usefulness of the proposed formation tracking scheme were validated by lab-based real-time hardware experiments involving miniature, two-wheeled mobile robots.