Decentralized formation control, collision avoidance and global connectivity maintenance using non-smooth barrier functions

IF 6 2区计算机科学 Q1 AUTOMATION & CONTROL SYSTEMS

Robotics and Autonomous Systems Pub Date : 2026-03-01 Epub Date: 2025-12-01 DOI:10.1016/j.robot.2025.105272

Pranjal Bhatia , Sayan Basu Roy , P.B. Sujit , Luis Mejias Alvarez , Aaron McFadyen

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引用次数: 0

Abstract

This paper presents a decentralized control framework for multi-agent systems that simultaneously addresses formation control, global connectivity maintenance, and collision avoidance. To achieve these multiple objectives, we employ control barrier functions (CBFs), with each function tailored to a specific safety constraint. However, the combination of multiple CBFs inherently introduces non-smoothness in the system, posing challenges for real-time control. To address this, we adopt non-smooth barrier functions (NBFs), which enable the integration of multiple safety constraints in a decentralized manner while systematically avoiding critical non-smooth regions. The proposed method allows agents to maintain a desired formation, avoid inter-agent and obstacle collisions, and preserve global connectivity without requiring centralized coordination. The results are validated using mathematical analysis and simulations.

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分散式编队控制、避碰和使用非平滑屏障函数的全局连通性维护

本文提出了一个多智能体系统的分散控制框架，该框架同时解决了编队控制、全局连接维护和避免碰撞的问题。为了实现这些多重目标，我们采用了控制屏障函数（cbf），每个函数都针对特定的安全约束进行了定制。然而，多个cbf的组合固有地引入了系统的非平滑性，给实时控制带来了挑战。为了解决这个问题，我们采用了非光滑屏障函数（nbf），它可以以分散的方式集成多个安全约束，同时系统地避免关键的非光滑区域。该方法允许智能体在不需要集中协调的情况下保持理想的队形，避免智能体间和障碍物碰撞，并保持全局连通性。通过数学分析和仿真验证了结果。

本文章由计算机程序翻译，如有差异，请以英文原文为准。

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来源期刊

Robotics and Autonomous Systems 工程技术-机器人学

CiteScore

9.00

自引率

7.00%

发文量

164

审稿时长

4.5 months

期刊介绍： Robotics and Autonomous Systems will carry articles describing fundamental developments in the field of robotics, with special emphasis on autonomous systems. An important goal of this journal is to extend the state of the art in both symbolic and sensory based robot control and learning in the context of autonomous systems. Robotics and Autonomous Systems will carry articles on the theoretical, computational and experimental aspects of autonomous systems, or modules of such systems.