A synchronization control strategy for multiple robot systems using shape regulation technology

This article presents a synchronization control strategy, which can be applied to formation control of swarm of robots. A decentralized trajectory tracking controller is developed with feedback of both position and synchronization errors, formed with a combination of feedforward and feedback controls. It is proven that this tracking controller can asymptotically converge both position and synchronization errors to zero. Then a shape regulation technology concerning switching between formations is developed to help apply our control concept. Simulations are performed on a group of twenty fully-actuated mobile robots in switching tasks between some common shapes.