DISTRIBUTED FORMATION CONTROL OF MULTI-AGENT SYSTEMS BASED ON RIGIDITY GRAPH THEORY APPLIED IN MOVING TARGET TRACKING

Abstract

This paper focuses on the design of distributed formation control law for multi-agent systems based on rigidity graph theory and applied to the task of tracking and encircling a moving target. The multi-agent system is described as an undirected graph that is infinitesimally and minimally rigid. The control law is composed of a formation control component and a target tracking and encirclement mechanism to ensure stable formation during mission performance. The leader-follower strategy is applied to solve this problem to increase efficiency and simplify the design process. Accordingly, the target’s velocity value is unknown to all agents, but the leader can determine the target’s relative position and estimate the target's velocity value, then transmit this information to the followers. The proposed control law is verified through simulations in three-dimensional space on Matlab software. The results show that the multi-agent system is capable of establishing and maintaining the desired formation throughout the process of tracking and encircling a moving target.