Dual-Stage Heterogeneous Multi-Agent Systems Surrounding Control for a Motional Target

This paper addresses the dynamic target surrounding control problem for a class of heterogeneous multi-agent systems (MASs). To surround a motional target with a time-varying velocity, a distributed observer is established by employing perturbation system analysis, which can simultaneously retrieve both target state and dynamics. Then a distributed dual-stage cooperative control scheme based on output regulation principle is proposed to fulfill the evenly surrounding control mission, i.e., all the heterogeneous agents moving along a common circle around the dynamic target with an identical desired radius and evenly distributed phases. Afterwards, an optimal selection protocol of switching instant between the collective chasing and surrounding stages is provided as well. Significantly, sufficient conditions are derived to guarantee the asymptotical stability of such closed-loop heterogeneous MASs. Finally, numerical simulations are conducted to verify the effectiveness of the proposed surrounding control scheme.