Connectivity-Preserving Synchronization of Time-Delay Euler-Lagrange Networks With Bounded Actuation.

Area of Science:

• Control Systems Engineering
• Robotics
• Networked Systems

Background:

• Connectivity-preserving synchronization is crucial for networked systems.
• Time-varying delays and bounded actuation pose significant threats to synchronization.
• Existing controllers struggle to maintain connectivity under these constraints.

Purpose of the Study:

• To propose a robust control strategy for connectivity-preserving synchronization of Euler-Lagrange networks.
• To address the challenges posed by time-varying delays and bounded actuation.
• To validate the proposed strategy through theoretical analysis and experimental validation.

Main Methods:

• Development of a distributed negative gradient plus damping injection controller.
• Introduction of an indirect coupling control framework with virtual proxies.
• Integration of bounded actuation constraints into the control design.
• Lyapunov-Krasovskii stability analysis.

Main Results:

• The proposed indirect coupling strategy effectively preserves network connectivity.
• Time-varying delays are managed by interproxy couplings.
• Actuator saturation is addressed by agent-proxy couplings.
• Experimental validation using Geomagic Touch haptic robots confirmed superior performance over conventional controllers.

Conclusions:

• The indirect coupling framework successfully achieves connectivity-preserving synchronization in Euler-Lagrange networks with delays and bounded actuation.
• The strategy offers a robust solution for networked systems facing similar challenges.
• The findings have implications for the design of reliable distributed control systems.