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 distributed output regulation problem. The general framework captures typical tasks such as output synchronization, leader-following, formation keeping, and many more. We present a distributed regulator for groups of identical and non-identical linear agents subject to global external signals affecting all agents as well as local external signals affecting individual agents. Both signal types comprise references and disturbances. The main contribution is a novel coupling among the agents based on their transient state components, or estimates thereof in the output feedback case. The transient synchronization improves the cooperative behavior in transient phases and guarantees a desired decay rate of the synchronization error, which leads to a cooperative reaction on local disturbances acting on individual agents.