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This work presents the development of a distributed formation control for multiagent systems (MASs) using a fractional-order proportional–integral (FOPI) structure. The fractional control protocol proposed is evaluated on agents modeled with single- and double-integrator dynamics, in which it enhances the convergence speed of the formation and improves the robustness of the system. In addition, a novel method to study the stability and convergence of the MASs in the frequency domain is designed. This allows deriving constraints on the control parameters to guarantee the stability and ensure the formation when the system topology is modeled by a time-invariant undirected graph. Finally, realistic simulations through MATLAB and a Virtual Robot Experimentation Platform (V-REP) validate the effectiveness of the theoretical results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article presents a closed-loop position control of a mobile robot, which is capable of moving from its current position to a target point by manipulating its linear and angular velocities. The main objective of this article is to modify an existing control law based on the kinematic model to improve the response when the robot is backwards oriented and to reach the destination point in less time and with a shorter trajectory. Stability of the proposed control law is validated by Lyapunov Criterion. Some procedures are implemented to test this approach both in simulation with MATLAB, and experimentally with the Khepera IV robot. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents the development, structure, implementation, and some applications of a remote laboratory for teaching automatic control concepts to engineering students. There are two applications: formation control of mobile robots and a ball-plate system. In teaching control engineering, there are two main approaches to control design: model-based control and non-model-based control. Students are given insight into: 1) for model-based control: identification of real processes (i.e., dealing with noise, choosing the sampling time, observing nonlinear effects at startup, pairing input–output variables); and 2) for non-model-based control: the advantages and disadvantages of auto-tuning techniques. The paper concludes by presenting an evaluation of these remote labs and discussing the advantages of using them as complementary tools for teaching control engineering at the Bachelor's and Master's level. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]