Discrete-time synchronization strategy for input time-delay mobile robots

This paper considers a synchronization strategy for a group of differentially driven mobile robots subject to input time-delayed control signals. The continuous time model of the vehicles is exactly discretized in order to obtain a larger dimension representation free of delays. The control strategy is based on the concept of synchronization, under two main assumptions: a specific formation for the group of robots and the tracking of a particular desired trajectory. The control strategy proposed in this work allows the consideration of causal feedback laws avoiding the use of an additional prediction strategy that counteracts the undesired input time-delay effects. The performance of the synchronization strategy is evaluated by real-time experiments with the help of a group of three mobile robots and an indoor absolute localization system based on artificial vision.