Disturbance observer–based super-twisting sliding mode control for formation tracking of multi-agent mobile robots

Guigang Zhang,Jian Wang,Dianwei Qian,Yun Wang,Jiarong Chen

doi:10.1177/0020294020909126

Abstract

This paper presents a super-twisting sliding mode control method for the formation maneuvers of multiple robots. In the real world of applications, the robots suffer from many uncertainties and disturbances that trouble the super-twisting sliding mode formation maneuvers very much. Especially, this issue has the adverse effects on the formation performance when the uncertainties and disturbances have an unknown bound. This paper focuses on this issue and utilizes the technique of disturbance observer to meet this challenge. In terms of the leader–follower framework, this paper investigates the integration of the super-twisting sliding mode control method and the disturbance observer technique. This kind of formation design has the guaranteed closed-loop stability in the sense of Lyapunov. Some simulations are implemented through a multi-robot platform. The results demonstrate that the superiority of the formation design regardless of uncertainties and disturbances.

Highlights

Multi-robot systems have paid great attention.[1]
This paper has investigated the formation control problem of multi-agent mobile robots
In order to fulfill the formation task and resist the inevitable uncertainties and disturbances, the super-twisting sliding mode control method is adopted, which suffers from the overestimate of the control gains

Summary

Introduction

Multi-robot systems have paid great attention.[1] Compared with a complex robot, multi-robot systems are of merit. In order to coordinate and supervise the robots, the formation problem raises up.[6] This problem is rooted from some biological systems. Schools of fishes in swimming always form up some patterns in order to protect themselves as well as team of ants in moving.[7,8] As far as these biological systems are concerned, their formation patterns demonstrate strict hierarchy and high robustness because of the inherent existence of a certain formation mechanism

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Conclusion