Chattering-Free Sliding Mode Control Based Sampled-Data Consensus for Heterogeneous Multi-Agent Systems with Disturbances

This paper addresses the challenges of achieving consensus in heterogeneous multi-agent systems (HMAS) by examining the effects of sampled-data based external disturbances and interactions. For each agent, a reference trajectory is defined, and the consensus problem is analyzed from two perspectives: consensus among reference trajectories and the tracking needs of each agent. To effectively handle external disturbances, the tracking control laws incorporate a sliding mode control approach. The proposed protocol integrates reference trajectory methods, sampled-data control, and sliding mode strategies. Notably, this protocol allows HMAS to achieve asymptotic consensus while minimizing chattering. Finally, a simulation example is provided to validate the protocol's effectiveness.