Physical Validation of a Synchronization and Formation Control Algorithm for Multi-Agent Robotic Systems

This work focuses on the physical validation of a synchronization and formation control method for multi-agent systems. The method is based on a modified consensus equation, minimally rigid graphs, and flat tension functions. The goal is to bring a group of agents to a certain formation, and then lead them to a common goal, while avoiding obstacles. We used Pololu 3Pi+ differential robots with added wireless communication capabilities, and we ran our experiments on a 3.8 × 4.8 m platform with 6 OptiTrack motion capture cameras. We achieved over 95% overall success in various scenarios, both in simulations and in physical trials. The robotic agents were able to keep the formation as closely as possible, and they adjusted their positions and velocities for a more flexible formation, when obstacles were present, reaching the desired goal as a synchronized swarm.