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.