Bipartite containment control of nonlinear multi‐agent systems with unknown inputs and state constraints

Abstract

SummaryThis article addresses the issue of bipartite containment tracking for nonlinear strict feedback multi‐agent systems (MASs) with disturbances and measurement uncertainties. To provides a better performance against strong disturbance, a coordination transformation is applied such that all the nonlinear functions, controller disturbances and measurement uncertainties are lumped into a single disturbance signal in the last state equation. Then, the lumped disturbance is compensated through a novel disturbance rebuilding method. Moreover, in order to get better control performance, state constraints are also considered through a nonlinear transformation function (NTF). Different from traditional methods dealing with the state constraint problems, the NTF method can avoid using any discontinuous Lyapunov function. Finally, an adaptive finite‐time distributed controller is established via the disturbance estimates, backstepping technique and fuzzy logic system (FLS). The performance of the controller is illustrated by a simulation example in which the bipartite containment formation of followers is realized in a practical finite time.