The Cooperative Output Regulation by the Distributed Observer Approach

Abstract

Survey/review study The Cooperative Output Regulation by the Distributed Observer Approach Youfeng Su 1, He Cai 2, and Jie Huang 3,* 1 College of Computer and Data Science, Fuzhou University, Fuzhou 350116, China 2 School of Automation Science and Engineering, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou 510641, China 3 Department of Mechanical and Automation Engineering, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China * Correspondence: jhuang@mae.cuhk.edu.hk Received: 7 November 2022 Accepted: 13 November 2022 Published: 22 December 2022 Abstract: The cooperative output regulation problem (CORP) is an extension of the leader-following consensus problem of multi-agent systems (MASs), and has been studied by two approaches, namely, the distributed observer (DO) approach and the distributed internal model (DIM) approach. The two approaches are, respectively, the extensions of the classical feedforward control approach and the classical internal model approach (for a single system) to the MASs. This paper overviews the CORP by the DO approach with the emphasis on linear MASs. After formulating the CORP, we present the evolution process of three types of DOs and the corresponding solutions to the CORP. Furthermore, some variants and extensions of the DO approach are also briefly surveyed for completeness.