Reconfiguration of a mobile communication network via Higher-Order Sliding Mode control

The mobile communication network studied here consists of a group of agents which move in response to external commands to perform a data-gathering task. As these agents move, connectivity of their communication network may be disrupted, preventing data transmission. Higher-Order Sliding Mode (HOSM) observers are used to reconstruct the external commands, from which future positions of the agents, as well as possible sites of connectivity disruption, are predicted on a certain time window. Controlled agents are introduced that are driven along trajectories to these sites by means of HOSM controllers, which cancel out effects of unknown bounded external disturbances; collisions with other agents along these trajectories are avoided. An intact communication network is thus constantly reconfigured by the movement of controlled agents. A case study demonstrates the proposed algorithm.