Collective motion: bistability and trajectory tracking

Abstract

This paper presents analysis and application of steering control laws for a network of self-propelled, planar particles. We explore together the two stably controlled group motions, parallel motion and circular motion, for modeling and design purposes. We show that a previously considered control law simultaneously stabilizes both parallel and circular group motion, leading to bistability and hysteresis. We also present behavior primitives that enable piecewise-linear network trajectory tracking.