On Cooperative Control of Heterogeneous Linear Multi-Agent Systems via Static Diffusive Couplings

Georg Seyboth (University of Stuttgart)

SYSTEMS AND CONTROL SERIES

DATE: 2013-02-22
TIME: 11:00:00 - 12:00:00
LOCATION: RSISE Seminar Room, ground floor, building 115, cnr. North and Daley Roads, ANU
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ABSTRACT:
Over the last decade, large-scale and distributed dynamical systems have attracted great attention in the field of control theory. Of particular interest are so-called multi-agent systems consisting of individual subsystems which interact with neighboring subsystems, or agents, according to some distributed control law. A major challenge in this field are heterogeneous multi-agent systems, i.e., networks consisting of non-identical agents.

In this talk we focus on cooperative control problems in heterogeneous linear multi-agent systems, based on static diffusive couplings. First, we review a necessary condition for output synchronization in such networks in terms of an internal model principle for synchronization. Then, we discuss two particular networks: i) Heterogeneous networks of harmonic oscillators and ii) heterogeneous networks of double-integrators. It turns out that exact synchronization is impossible in both cases but the networks are structurally different. The first network is rendered asymptotically stable through the heterogeneity while the second network shows 'practical' synchronization and hence robustness with respect to the heterogeneity. Two short application examples conclude the talk.
BIO:
Georg S. Seyboth is research and teaching assistant at the Institute for Systems Theory and Automatic Control (IST), University of Stuttgart. He studied Engineering Cybernetics at the University of Stuttgart, Germany and Royal Institute of Technology (KTH), Sweden. He got his Diploma degree from the University of Stuttgart in December 2010 and joined the IST in January 2011. He is PhD student in the Graduate School Simulation Technology (GS SimTech) within the Stuttgart Research Centre for Simulation Technology. His research interests are focused on distributed and cooperative control in homogeneous and heterogeneous networks of dynamical systems.