Formation control and obstacle avoidance for multi-agent systems with dynamic topology

This paper presents the distributed formation control of a multi-agent systems with first- and second-order dynamics. The proposed control algorithms are based on the virtual leaders approach. The modifications of the base controls which ensures that agents avoid collisions and obstacles are considered in this paper. Specific rules that allow each agent to calculate the virtual leaders´ position and the priority of each leader are suggested. The formation topology is chosen by the agents dynamically depending on the number of neighbouring agents, only local information is used by the agents. Obstacle avoidance is implemented with the help of potential repulsive function. Based on the developed discrete-time algorithm, solution for maintaining formation and avoiding collisions and obstacles while moving towards the target point, is proposed. Simulation results are presented, indicating capabilities of the algorithms.