Fault-tolerant controller design with connectivity maintenance in fractional-order multi-agent systems using a super-twisting sliding mode algorithm

This article explores fault analysis in distributed fractional multi-agent systems, specifically addressing fault detection in nonlinear fractional-order multi-agent systems by introducing a sliding surface. To achieve fault detection, we employ a super-twisting sliding mode observer designed for accurate fault estimation within individual agents. Building on this, we present a new fractional-order sliding surface accompanied by a potential function, strategically designed to ensure connectivity maintenance. Drawing on the estimated fault and the fractional-order sliding surface, we propose a fault-tolerant controller. This controller operates within a finite time frame, simultaneously guaranteeing fault tolerance and connectivity maintenance. To demonstrate the effectiveness of our approach, we conduct simulations on three numerical examples. These examples represent heterogeneous systems with both directed and undirected graph topologies, showcasing the versatility and applicability of our proposed methodology.