Formation Control in Multi-Agent Systems Over Packet Dropping Links

TL;DR

This paper addresses the challenge of packet loss in multi-agent formation control, proposing a robust estimation algorithm that maintains formation integrity despite communication failures, especially in wireless channels.

Contribution

It introduces an estimation-based formation control method utilizing minimal spanning trees to reduce communication overhead and improve robustness against packet loss.

Findings

The proposed algorithm maintains formation despite packet loss.

Simulation results confirm reduced communication overhead.

Formation stability is preserved in wireless channel conditions.

Abstract

One major challenge in implementation of formation control problems stems from the packet loss that occur in these shared communication channel. In the presence of packet loss the coordination information among agents is lost. Moreover, there is a move to use wireless channels in formation control applications. It has been found in practice that packet losses are more pronounced in wireless channels, than their wired counterparts. In our analysis, we first show that packet loss may result in loss of rigidity. In turn this causes the entire formation to fail. Later, we present an estimation based formation control algorithm that is robust to packet loss among agents. The proposed estimation algorithm employs minimal spanning tree algorithm to compute the estimate of the node variables (coordination variables). Consequently, this reduces the communication overhead required for information exchange. Later, using simulation, we verify the data that is to be transmitted for optimal estimation of these variables in the event of a packet loss. Finally, the effectiveness of the proposed algorithm is illustrated using suitable simulation example.