Fault estimation based on intermediate observer for directed graph multi-mobile robot systems

Purpose Faults in multi-mobile robot systems (MMRS) can lead to task failures or other serious consequences. The purpose of this paper is to accurately estimate faults in cooperative MMRS, which communication topology is directed graphs, with scenarios such as collaborative transportation, and the authors propose a fault estimation method based on the intermediate observer. Design/methodology/approach The method solves the observer gain using the H8 performance criterion. It improves estimation accuracy by using centralized and local estimation errors. For calculating the observer’s parameter matrices, a solution to linear matrix inequality based on Schur decomposition theorem is proposed. Findings Simulation and physical experimental results demonstrate that, in MMRS cooperative tasks, the proposed method can accurately estimate the fault of each robot. Originality/value The proposed method can accurately estimate faults caused by external interference, centralized errors and localized errors transmitted through communication, providing a basis for control decisions and mitigating the impact of faults on MMRS collaborative transportation with the effectiveness of a greater number of robots and more complex scenarios awaits verification through subsequent research.