Multi-formation control of nonlinear leader-following multi-agent systems

This paper deals with the multi-formation control problem for nonlinear leader-following multi-agent systems. Both the fixed topology case and the switching topology case are considered. The neighbor-based multi-formation control protocols are proposed under the assumption that for one subgroup, the total information received from other subgroups is zero. Then, based on the Lyapunov stability theory combined with the algebraic graph theory, sufficient conditions are established to ensure that the leader-following multi-agent systems with nonlinear dynamics can reach and maintain the desired multi-formation control. Finally, simulation examples are provided to illustrate the effectiveness of the theoretical results.