Constrained Consensus in Nonlinear Multiagent Systems Under Switching Topologies

Regarding constrained consensus in nonlinear systems, most of the currently available results require fixed communication topologies. We investigate constrained consensus without such requirements for a type of strict-feedback system. To approach the discontinuous nature associated with topology switching and output constraints, we tailor a novel dynamic feedback system based on a transformed function to yield a desired output. This auxiliary dynamics enables us to develop a distributed control strategy for each agent utilizing minimal information from neighboring agents, namely, the neighbors’ output information. It is shown that consensus can be reached without constraint transgressions and that the boundedness of all signals in the closed-loop system is preserved. A simulation study validates the efficacy of the proposed strategy.