Cooperative Containment-Formation Control of Non-Holonomic Robots Using Distance-Based Feedback

Yancheng Yan

Abstract: This paper explores the cooperative containment-formation problem involving two non-holonomic robots, with a primary focus on angular velocity control for trajectory regulation. In this study, the robots are assigned the task of maintaining a predetermined circular path around a stationary target, while preserving a specified inter-robot distance and angular velocity. Notably, the robots do not have access to global positioning data and are unable to directly localize the target. Instead, they depend exclusively on real-time, distance-based sensor data related to nearby objects to guide their movement. By employing a leader-follower coordination strategy, we propose an innovative control algorithm that uses distance-based feedback to generate bounded control inputs for the robots. Additionally, the conditions governing the control parameters and initial state configurations are rigorously derived. We provide a comprehensive analysis to demonstrate that, under these conditions, the proposed control strategy successfully achieves the desired cooperative containment-formation behavior. Extensive simulations and experimental validations are conducted to support the theoretical findings and emphasize the robustness of the proposed approach.

Submission Number: 236