A PDE-based control concept is developed to deploy a multi-agent system into desired formation profiles. The dynamic model is based on a coupled linear, time-variant parabolic distributed parameter system. By means of a particular coupling structure parameter information can be distributed within the agent continuum. Flatness-based motion planning and feedforward control are combined with a backstepping-based boundary controller to stabilise the distributed parameter system of the tracking error. The tracking controller utilises the required state information from a Luenberger-type state observer. By means of an exogenous system the relocation of formation profiles is achieved. The transfer of the control strategy to a finite-dimensional discrete multi-agent system is obtained by a suitable finite difference discretization of the continuum model, which in addition imposes a leader-follower communication topology. The results are evaluated both in simulation studies and in experiments for a swarm of mobile robots realizing the transition between different stable and unstable formation profiles.

The paper describes a simulation study that provides a comprehensive comparison between full-active and semi-active suspensions for improving the vertical ride quality on railway vehicles. It includes an assessment of the ride quality benefits that can theoretically be achieved with idealised devices, and also examines the impact of real devices based upon hydraulic actuation technology.

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