Flocking of Second-Order Multiagent Systems With Connectivity Preservation Based on Algebraic Connectivity Estimation
提出一种新的分散式逆幂迭代方案估计代数连通性，并基于此设计分布式梯度蜂拥控制协议，在保持网络连通的同时允许边断裂，提升运动灵活性和降低通信成本。
The problem of flocking of second-order multiagent systems with connectivity preservation is investigated in this paper. First, for estimating the algebraic connectivity as well as the corresponding eigenvector, a new decentralized inverse power iteration scheme is formulated. Then, based on the estimation of the algebraic connectivity, a set of distributed gradient-based flocking control protocols is built with a new class of generalized hybrid potential fields which could guarantee collision avoidance, desired distance stabilization, and the connectivity of the underlying communication network simultaneously. What is important is that the proposed control scheme allows the existing edges to be broken without violation of connectivity constraints, and thus yields more flexibility of motions and reduces the communication cost for the multiagent system. In the end, nontrivial comparative simulations and experimental results are performed to demonstrate the effectiveness of the theoretical results and highlight the advantages of the proposed estimation scheme and control algorithm.