Consensus and obstacle avoidance for multi-robot systems with fixed and switching topologies

This paper is concerned with the formation method for multi-robot systems with obstacles. Consensus formation cannot avoid obstacles in the process of movement, and algorithms based on relative distances are not applicable to the situations requiring rigid topology. An algorithm has been designed combining consensus protocols and the modified artificial potential field method for the second-order multi-robot systems with obstacles. The second-order systems include the systems with both fixed topology and switching topology. Several simulations are presented to validate the effectiveness of the method.