On the Controllability of Multiple Dynamic Agents with Fixed Topology

This paper focuses on the controllability of multiagent systems with fixed topology based on agreement protocols. We analyze three models of agents: single integrator, double integrator and high-order integrator. For a group of single-integrator agents, controllability is studied in a unified framework for both networks with leader-following structure and networks with undirected graph. Some new necessary/sufficient conditions for controllability of networks of single-integrator agents are established. For networks of double-integrator agents, we prove that controllability of the networks is equivalent to that of networks of single-integrator agents under the same topology and same prescribed leaders. This result is further extended to the case of networks of high-order-integrator agents. Moreover, two influencing factors of controllability of networks are investigated, that is, the selection of leaders and the link weights of graphs.