Angle Rigidity‐Based Distributed Circular Formation Control in 2D Space

ABSTRACT This paper addresses the problem of distributed circular formation control of multiple agents around an unknown target in 2‐dimensional (2D) space. Based on angle rigidity theory, we develop a distributed control scheme that primarily requires local angle measurements, with an additional distance measurement used to maintain the circular radius. Compared to most existing works, the present study has the following distinctive characteristics. Firstly, a novel angle‐based controller is designed to enable agents to achieve and maintain the desired circular formation pattern, with stability analysis grounded in angle error dynamics. Secondly, the proposed control law does not require any prior information about the global coordinate system; that is, the controller can be implemented using only the local frame of reference and local relative measurements. Thirdly, no communication between agents is required when using the proposed controller. The effectiveness of the proposed control scheme is verified by numerical simulations.