Second-order consensus for nonlinear leader-following multi-agent systems with sampled-data information

The consensus problem for a class of second-order nonlinear leader-following multi-agent systems only using sampled-data information is investigated in this paper. First, we design a continuous-time controller by integrating the graph theory and Lyapunov design methods together. Then, the explicit formula for the maximum allowable sampling period is computed such that the discretized controller will guarantee global stability of the closed-loop system. Using the sampled-data feedback domination technique, it is shown that the systems states can reach consensus by choosing appropriate gain and sampling period. An example is given to verify the efficiency of the proposed method.