Integral sliding control approach for generalized cyclic pursuit formation maintenance

This paper is concerned with the formation maintenance of a group of autonomous agents under generalized cyclic pursuit (GCP) law. The described pattern for agents under such formation is epicycle-like. For a network of agents to achieve such a formation, marginal stability of the overall network is required. The desired marginal stability of the network relies on each agents’ gain values, and uncertainties in these gains can occur. Previous studies have used fixed gains, we enhance the stability of the gains via a dynamic approach using an integral sliding controller (ISC). An ISC can ensure sliding behavior of the gains throughout the entire response, and it is shown that the gains are robust toward variations and thus make the network keep its marginal stability and its formation.