Distributed shape control and collision avoidance for multi-agent systems with bearing-only constraints

This paper looks at the design of a distributed control law to solve the formation shape control problem using bearing-only constraints in two-dimensional space while inter-agent collision between the neighbor agents is avoided. We assume each agent can measure the relative position and is only given the desired bearing (and not the distance) to its neighbors in some local coordinate system attached to the agent. We use a relaxed control law that allows each agent to move on any direction on a half-plane to achieve the desired formation shape, and impose some conditions on the motion of the agents such that no collision occurs between the neighbor agents. Simulation results are given that show the performance of the algorithm.