Enhancing multi-agent system coordination: Fixed-time and event-triggered control mechanism for robust distributed consensus

Abstract

The coordination of multi-agent systems presents considerable issues in distributed control, particularly in applications like robotic formations, sensor networks, and smart grids. This study addresses the challenge of attaining robust agreement in multi-agent systems constrained by limited communication and energy resources. We present an innovative control mechanism that combines fixed-time theory with event-triggered strategies, suitable for both leaderless and leader–follower models. The event-triggered method minimises superfluous communication, averting Zeno behaviour while preserving stability in accordance with Lyapunov theory. This study primarily contributes a fixed-time consensus algorithm that ensures all agents achieve consensus within a specified timeframe, irrespective of initial conditions. Simulations performed on a five-agent network indicate that consensus is achieved in 1.45 s for the leaderless model and 1.15 s for the leader–follower model, both considerably quicker than the designated time. Moreover, the convergence is not influenced by an escalation in initial state values. The suggested control mechanism decreases communication expenses by 79.92% relative to conventional methods. The methodology is ultimately evaluated on a more extensive network to further confirm its efficacy. The results illustrate the efficacy and resilience of the proposed technique in enhancing system performance and efficiency.