Formation control of nonholonomic mobile robots based on feedback linearization and observers

Abstract

The Problem addressed in this research area is completely based on the formation control of non-holonomic mobile robots commonly referred to robotic swarm. Their ability to track each other and to move in the desired formation has been of a considerable interest over the past decades. Starting with non-linear kinematic equation, the desired proposed linear controller will ensure that the robot should maintain the constant distance between each other in the presence of different kind of disturbances. The formation model of the robot is transformed into the error model by maintaining the desired distance and bearing angle among the robots. It is assumed that some of the error coordinates were unknown. For these trajectories an extension of the desired work is being carried out based on the observer to make sure that unknown error trajectory will approach to zero in finite time in a geometric based formation. The formation model is extracted from the coordinate transformation based on graph theory, that eliminates the limitation of the communication between the robots. This condition is later relaxed to cater for a rather more complicated situation in which the communication link between the robots may not be perfect. Simulation are provided to ensure the efficacy of the proposed control law.