Distance-based formation tracking control of multi-agent systems with double-integrator dynamics

This paper addresses the distance-based formation tracking problem for a double-integrator modeled multi-agent system (MAS) in the presence of a moving leader in d-dimensional space. Under the assumption that the state of leader can be obtained over fixed graphs, a distributed distance-based control protocol is designed for each double-integrator follower agent. The protocol consists of three terms: a gradient function term, a velocity consensus term, and a leader tracking term. Different shape stabilizing functions proposed in the literature can be applied to the gradient function term. The proposed controller allows all agents to both achieve the desired shape and reach the same velocity with moving leader by controlling the distances and velocity. Finally, we analyze the local asymptotic stability of the equilibrium set with center manifold theory. We validate the effectiveness of our approach through two examples.