Decentralized control of a collective of autonomous robotic vehicles

Abstract

In this paper, the performance of a group of autonomous vehicles tracking a prescribed goal is analyzed. The vehicles are considered to be ground-based unmanned robots acting as a group to maintain an unbroken communication network in a building or some other region. Vehicle interactions are modeled as a chain of interconnected systems. The stability of the entire collective as well as individual vehicles is studied using largescale systems theory. Stability can be controlled via two key parameters: vehicle speed constant (maximum vehicle speed times sample time) and vehicle interaction gain. In addition to the stability analysis, simulation of a group of vehicles in a building with walls, doors, and other obstacles is studied with respect to maintaining a communication network among the vehicles at all times.