A new on-line observer-based controller for leader-follower formation of multiple nonholonomic mobile robots

In this paper, a novel on-line observer-based trajectory tracking strategy for leader-follower formation of multiple nonholonomic mobile robots is developed. In the proposed strategy, a leader robot follows a certain trajectory whereas a number of followers track the leader as specified by a formation protocol. Unlike other techniques in the literature, a predefined trajectory is not required, and it can be changed on-line. Moreover, this strategy aims to have a fast transient response without showing undesired overshoots. To achieve this feature, a new observer is introduced. Based on the output of that observer, a control strategy with two components is derived. The first control component is responsible for tracking the desired trajectory, whereas the second control component is used to regulate the robot to its desired steady state position. The stability of the closed loop control system is investigated. Applications of the proposed observer-based controller to different case studies are presented to illustrate the effectiveness, robustness and applicability of the developed technique. To show the superiority of proposed controller, its performance in a trajectory tracking application is compared to that of a Lyapunov-based controller.