Time-varying output formation-tracking of heterogeneous multi-agent systems with time-varying delays and switching topologies

This paper focuses on the time-varying output formation (TVOF) tracking control of heterogeneous linear multi-agent systems (HL-MASs) with both delays and switching topologies, where the followers’ outputs can move along the reference trajectory generated by the leaders and maintain the desired time-varying formation. First, a distributed observer is proposed for each follower, aiming to estimate the convex combination of leaders’ state with both communication delays and switching graphs. The observer’s error for heterogeneous MASs is analyzed based on Lyapunov theory and linear matrix inequality (LMI) technique. Second, the observer is incorporated into the output formation tracking protocol. Then, an algorithm is put forward to calculate the control feedback gains and the formation tracking feasibility constraint is also provided. Furthermore, the convergence of the formation tracking error is proved. At last, the effectiveness of this proposed method is validated through a numerical simulation.