Multi-Agent Fault-Tolerant Control Based on Distributed Adaptive Consensus

This paper proposes a distributed adaptive control approach based on consensus theory so that a multi-agent formation can still complete the task despite the local fault of the leader for the multi-agent formation system. The controlled object consists of four agents that form a triangle formation system, where one agent acts as the vertex of the triangle, and the remaining agents act as followers in a line. In addition, the speed of the leader is the forward direction of the formation, and the followers are behind the leader. Based on graph theory, the distributed adaptive updating of the agents’ local information parameters are conducted, and the distributed adaptive control law is used to supplement the influence of the leader’s fault in the multi-agent formation. According to the local information of adjacent agents, an overall distributed adaptive fault-tolerant control law is designed, and the stability of the designed controller is proved by constructing the Lyapunov function. Meanwhile, the relative distance error between the horizontal direction and longitudinal direction of the leader-follower converge to zero. The simulation results show that the proposed adaptive control approach has good robustness, which provides a theoretical basis for engineering practice.