A noninteracting control strategy for the robust output synchronization of linear heterogeneous networks

Abstract

This paper deals with the problem of robust output synchronization for heterogeneous multi-agent systems. First, a new synchronization approach is presented to synchronize the outputs of heterogeneous agents. Based on noninteracting control techniques, a method is derived for homogenizing the input-output behavior of every agent. Hence, applying the same reference input signal to every agent leads to synchronization. Furthermore, a strategy for increasing the robustness of the synchronization process against exogenous disturbances is presented, which leads to a structurally constrained optimization problem. However, by a convenient reformulation of the problem, well established tools from robust control theory can be used. Moreover, it is shown that this procedure allows to separate the robustness issue from the synchronization task. The effectiveness of the approach is illustrated by a robust output synchronization example for a heterogeneous aircraft fleet.

A BFGS-SQP method for nonsmooth, nonconvex, constrained optimization and its evaluation using relative minimization profiles

“…The toolbox designs fixed-order controllers by optimizing stability measures that generally exhibit a high degree of nonsmoothness at minimizers (a property that we discuss and illustrate in §4). The hifoo toolbox has been used successfully in a wide variety of applications, including synchronization of heterogeneous multi-agent systems and networks [KA14b,KA14a], design of motorized gimbals that stabilize an angular motion of an optical payload around an axis [RH13], flight control via static-output-feedback control [YS12], robust observer-based fault detection and iso-lation [WKA12], influence of tire damping on control of quarter-car suspensions [AT11], flexible aircraft lateral flight dynamic control [HH11a,HH11b,HH11c], optimal control of aircraft with a blended wing body [HKH11], vibration control of a fluid/plate system [RBB + 10], controller design of a nose landing gear steering system [PLB10], bilateral teleoperation for minimally invasive surgery [Del09], design of an aircraft controller for improved gust alleviation and passenger comfort [WMH + 09], robust controller design for a proton exchange membrane fuel cell system [WC09], design of power systems controllers [DeSD09], and design of winding systems for elastic web materials [KHMV07].…”