Distributed finite-time cooperative tracking of networked Lagrange systems via local interactions

This paper studies the finite-time cooperative tracking problem for networked Lagrange systems with a time-varying leader's generalized coordinate derivative. First, a finite-time state feedback control protocol is proposed for each follower by using only local information, under which the states of the followers are shown to converge to those of the leader in finite time. The results of the static feedback design are then extended to those of the dynamic feedback design. The finite-time cooperative tracking problem of networked Lagrange systems over a directed switching communication topology is proposed. With the help of a so-called finite-time consensus-based observer, we show that cooperative tracking of networked Lagrange systems can be achieved in finite time if the leader has directed information paths to each follower at each time instant and the control parameters satisfy certain conditions.