Distributed stabilization of nonlinear networks with measurement output feedback

This paper studies the distributed stabilization problem for dynamical networks composed of heterogenous nonlinear subsystems with output couplings. The measurable information available for feedback design is characterized by the sensor network topology and the controller network topology. First, a kind of measurement output feedback control law is proposed to solve the problem for the cases that subsystems are in output feedback form with unity and higher relative degrees. Then by utilizing the controller network, a new kind of distributed-observer-based control law is given to solve the aforementioned problem by using both the measurement output and the information provided by the neighboring controllers for each subsystem. Certain comparisons are also made between these two control strategies.