Consensus of Linear Multi-agent Systems with Pure Relative Output Through Fully Distributed Reduced-Order Protocols

Abstract

This paper considers fully distributed adaptive control for linear multi-agent systems with pure relative output information only. Two reduced-order protocols, namely, an edge-based protocol and a node-based protocol, are derived. For the edge-based protocol, each edge is adapted by a coupling weight which depends only on relative output information of the associated two agents, while the coupling weight in the node-based protocol is based on the relative output information of all neighboring agents. Sufficient conditions for the solvability of the consensus problem under the two protocols are derived. Compared with most of the existing related protocols, the main merits of the protocols are that only relative output information is needed, which helps reduce the communication burdens and protect the multi-agent systems from network attacks, and that the protocols are fully distributed. A simulation example is finally presented to illustrate the effectiveness of the proposed protocols.