Distributed Containment Maneuvering of Uncertain Multiagent Systems in MIMO Strict-Feedback Form

This paper investigates the distributed containment maneuvering problem for uncertain nonlinear multiagent systems in multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) strict-feedback form. The follower agents are driven to achieve a collective motion guided by multiple parameterized paths, and a dynamic behavior can be independently prescribed for the group during maneuvering. A containment maneuvering controller is developed by utilizing a modular design method enabling decoupled estimation and control. Specifically, an estimator module is constructed by utilizing an echo state network to identify the unknown nonlinearities. Next, a controller module is constructed by employing a modified dynamic surface control method where a second-order nonlinear tracking differentiator is introduced to extract the derivative information of the virtual control law. Subsequently, a path update law is derived such that the virtual leaders are synchronized, and the desired speed profile for the group can be specified independently. By using a small-gain theorem and cascade stability theory, the entire closed-loop system is proved to be input-to-state stable, and the containment maneuvering errors are uniformly ultimately bounded. An application for the formation control of marine surface vehicles is provided to show the efficacy of the proposed controller for containment maneuvering of uncertain nonlinear MIMO strict-feedback systems.