CAREER: Distributed Multi-vehicle Cooperative Control - A Consensus Theoretical Approach

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Objective: The objective of this career proposal is to derive a consensus theoretical framework for distributed multi-vehicle cooperative control. In particular, the proposal focuses on distributed multi-vehicle formation clustering and rigid body attitude synchronization problems. While consensus algorithms start to emerge in cooperative control, they are usually simplified or ideal without accounting for the challenges in cooperative control problems. Therefore, their applicability to the above two problems is very limited.Intellectual Merit: The research plan of this career proposal consists of three thrusts: (i) analysis and design of novel, provably correct consensus algorithms and derivation of a unified consensus architecture for distributed multi-vehicle formation clustering problems, (ii) analysis and design of novel, provably correct consensus algorithms for distributed rigid body attitude synchronization problems, and (iii) experimental validation of the distributed algorithms on a multi-vehicle testbed. The distributed algorithms derived in the project will address consensus tracking of a reference state with inherent dynamics, consensus under actuator saturation, consensus in the absence of absolute or relative state derivative measurements, and consensus of coupled nonlinear systems modeled by rigid body attitude dynamics or Euler-Lagrange equations.Broader Impacts: The research has significant impact on applications including space-based interferometry, environment monitoring, border patrol, and search and rescue. In collaboration with the Utah Water Research Laboratory, the PI plans to apply the research results to high-resolution remote sensing of land surface hydrologic processes by a team of unmanned aerial vehicles. The research also has impact on the fields of biology, economics, physics, and computer science, where the consensus/synchronization phenomenon is ubiquitous. The research plan will be integrated into an education plan that includes four elements, namely, undergraduate and graduate mentoring, curriculum development, outreach to high schools, and broad dissemination of the research results.