Multi-robot nonlinear model predictive formation control: Moving target and target absence

•Proposed a novel approach in formation control and active target tracking problem.•We consider moving target and the target’s presence and absence.•The NMPFC allows the formation to converge and follow a target or a leader.•Despite vision problems in real robots, the approach worked successfully.

This paper describes a novel approach in formation control for mobile robots in the active target tracking problem. A nonlinear model predictive formation controller (NMPFC) for target perception was implemented to converge a group of mobile robots toward a desired target. The team must also maintain a desired formation following a target while it is moving, or follow a leader in the case of target’s absence. The structure details of the controller, as well as a mathematical analysis of the formation model used, are presented. Furthermore, results of simulations and experiments with real robots are presented and discussed.