Distributed dynamic edge-based event-triggered formation control for multiple underactuated unmanned surface vessels

Abstract

This paper investigates the distributed formation control problem for underactuated unmanned surface vessels (USVs) under communication resources constraints and unknown external disturbances. Based on the adaptive algorithm and the minimal learning parameter (MLP) algorithm, a distributed dynamic edge-based event-triggered controller is proposed to achieve the desired formation maneuver. Different from the node-based event-triggered strategy, the edge-based event-triggered mechanism in this paper is developed depends on the information of every edge. Besides, the internal dynamic variable is embedded in the triggering function to obtain larger triggered time interval. Only the triggered condition of every edge is reached can the communication happen, such that the communication burden will be effectively reduced. The theoretical result exhibits that the tracking errors will converge into a tiny region under this control scheme. Finally, numerical simulations are presented to demonstrate the validity of the proposed controller.