Distributed Nonlinear Control of Networked Two-Wheeled Robots under Adversarial Interactions

TL;DR

This paper presents a resilient distributed control method for networked two-wheeled robots that maintains trajectory tracking despite adversarial information, using a novel linearization and redundancy-based approach.

Contribution

It introduces a global input-output linearization scheme and a resilient signal construction that together mitigate adversarial effects without needing adversary detection.

Findings

The method achieves nominal tracking when redundancy is sufficient.

Adversarial effects are bounded when redundancy is insufficient.

Simulation shows cyclic networks have superior resilience.

Abstract

This paper studies distributed trajectory tracking for networks of nonholonomic mobile robots under adversarial information exchange. An exact global input--output feedback linearization scheme is developed to regulate planar position outputs, yielding linear error dynamics without prescribing internal state trajectories. To mitigate corrupted neighbor information, a resilient desired-signal construction is proposed that combines local redundancy with trusted in-neighbor signals, without requiring adversary detection or isolation. When sufficient redundancy is available, the method suppresses adversarial influence and recovers nominal tracking performance. If redundancy conditions are violated, adversarial effects enter as bounded disturbances and the tracking error remains ultimately bounded. Simulation results on star, cyclic, and path topologies validate the analysis and demonstrate the superior resilience of cyclic networks due to distributed information propagation.