Leader-follower type formation control using local displacement measurements: Velocity observer-based approach

This paper presents a leader-follower type formation control in multi-agent systems using only local relative displacement measurements. For the velocity matching between the pairs of nodes, a velocity observer is utilized. By using the velocity observer, the follower can estimate the velocity of the leader in its local coordinate frame. Thus, the follower controls itself using both the measured displacements (distances and bearing angles) and the estimated velocity. Through simulations, the validity of the proposed idea is illustrated.