Cooperative output synchronization of networked nonlinear output-feedback systems

This paper investigates the cooperative output synchronization problem of networked nonlinear systems that can be transformed into output feedback form. Combined Backstepping method together with Graph theory, distributed controllers are designed recursively for agents in the network to achieve the control object. Each agent's controller has two parts: state feedback of itself and information from its neighbors. It is proved that when the undirected graph is connected or the balanced digraph is weakly connected, all agents' outputs in the network can be synchronized, i.e. cooperative output synchronization is realized. Finally, numerical examples are presented to illustrate the effectiveness of proposed controllers.