Non-Parametric Neuro-Adaptive Formation Control

TL;DR

This paper introduces a neural network-based adaptive control algorithm for multi-agent systems with unknown nonlinear dynamics, enabling distributed formation control without prior dynamic knowledge or large control inputs.

Contribution

It presents a novel two-step learning and adaptive control method that guarantees formation achievement in multi-agent systems with unknown dynamics, using only local information.

Findings

Distributed neural network learning for formation control

Theoretical guarantees on formation achievement

No prior knowledge of agent dynamics required

Abstract

We develop a learning-based algorithm for the distributed formation control of networked multi-agent systems governed by unknown, nonlinear dynamics. Most existing algorithms either assume certain parametric forms for the unknown dynamic terms or resort to unnecessarily large control inputs in order to provide theoretical guarantees. The proposed algorithm avoids these drawbacks by integrating neural network-based learning with adaptive control in a two-step procedure. In the first step of the algorithm, each agent learns a controller, represented as a neural network, using training data that correspond to a collection of formation tasks and agent parameters. These parameters and tasks are derived by varying the nominal agent parameters and a user-defined formation task to be achieved, respectively. In the second step of the algorithm, each agent incorporates the trained neural network into an online and adaptive control policy in such a way that the behavior of the multi-agent closed-loop system satisfies the user-defined formation task. Both the learning phase and the adaptive control policy are distributed, in the sense that each agent computes its own actions using only local information from its neighboring agents. The proposed algorithm does not use any a priori information on the agents' unknown dynamic terms or any approximation schemes. We provide formal theoretical guarantees on the achievement of the formation task.