Distributed Fixed-Time Leader-Following Consensus for Multi-Agent Systems: An Event-Triggered Mechanism

Abstract

In this work, a fixed-time leader-following event-triggered (ET) consensus problem for multi-agent systems (MASs) with external disturbances is investigated. A distributed observer is developed to achieve the estimated state of the leader. By means of the observation information, the consensus error system for multi-agents is reformulated into a tracking error system, wherein individual follower agent aims to track the leader agent. Building upon Lyapunov technology and fixed-time stability theory, a new ET protocol is introduced to mitigate communication wastes. Notably, the proposed controller incorporates a strong robust fixed-time control form with lower complexity, and a reliable dynamic triggering condition also ensures the excellent performance of the system. Rigorous demonstrations underscore the stability and robustness of the ET method, while guaranteeing the avoidance of Zeno behavior. Finally, several numerical simulations are provided to underscore the efficacy of the proposed protocols.