Opinion Dynamics-Based Containment Control for Multi-Agent Systems

In this work a novel approach to containment control for multi-agent systems is presented, leveraging techniques from opinion dynamics and considering a scenario where agents modeled as double integrators are taken into account. The defined control law is specifically capable of guiding follower agents within the convex hull of leader agents, taking into account and managing the presence of uncertainties in the available information. In particular, the technique is based on the design of virtual leaders that can safely guide the follower agents into the convex hull of the real leaders. Various design strategies for these virtual leaders are presented, using the results obtained from opinion dynamics. The paper details the problem statement, assumptions, and the proposed control strategy, followed by numerical results validating the effectiveness of the approach.