Abstract:

The task of synchronisation of autonomous agents can be solved by a networked controller that steers the agents towards a common trajectory. For example, in a vehicle string on a highway the vehicles should follow each other with a common velocity. This paper explains the main idea of designing synchronising controllers and defines the notion of synchronisability as the property of the agents ensuring that the synchronisation task can be solved by a controller with appropriate communication structure. Based on a criterion for the synchronisation of linear systems, a necessary and sufficient condition for the agents to possess the synchronisability property is derived. For agents with individual dynamics, the Internal-Reference-Principle is explained, which claims that the agents have to possess a common dynamics if they should be synchronised by a controller. The results are illustrated by its application to a string of vehicles.