Adaptive Source Seeking with Leader-Follower Formation Control∗

In this paper a source seeking method for multi-agent systems consisting of autonomous surface vessels (ASVs) or autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs) is proposed. The desired heading for the leader, and thus the desired heading for the group, is adapted based on gradient information from the field. That is, an initial given trajectory is assigned to the leader. Then using scalar measurements from each agent the approximated gradient of the field is used to compute the direction towards the source. The initial and computed heading are weighted with a parameter that depends on the intensity of the source's signal. If the signal exceeds a given threshold, the agents move towards the source. During source seeking a desired formation is achieved and maintained using leader-follower synchronization controllers. A case study is presented and discussed to illustrate the approach.