Finite-time cooperative circumnavigation control of multiple second-order agents with desired formations.

This paper investigates the finite-time cooperative circumnavigation control of multiple second-order agents, in which the agents should surround a moving target with desired formation and circular velocity based on local information. Firstly, the controller design is transformed into design control parameters such that the error system, including distance error, speed error and angle error, is finite-time consensus. The error system is viewed as a cascaded system containing two second-order subsystems, and then a distributed finite-time controller composed of two parts is delivered. The finite-time stability of the entire system is given by employing cascaded control theory. One significant advantage of the proposed controller is that it allows the agents to converge to desired trajectory in a finite time instead of asymptotically. Another merit is that the desired formation is an extensive case and unlimited, including different tracking radii and angular spacing. Furthermore, the proposed controller can be implemented by each agent in its local frame, utilizing only local information. These properties significantly extend the application scope of cooperative circumnavigation. Finally, simulations are carried out to validate the effectiveness of the proposed method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]