Stabilization by controller networks

This paper addresses a design method of controller networks, i.e., networked controllers which cooperatively determine the control inputs by exchanging the information with their neighbors. The problem considered here is to design the controllers stabilizing the resulting feedback system for an unknown network topology. As a solution to the problem, we propose controllers such that the entire network acts as a state feedback controller through a consensus protocol, and derive gain conditions to stabilize the resulting feedback system. This enables us to obtain a controller network that is robust against uncertainties of the network topology.