Performance prediction in uncertain multi-agent systems using L₁ adaptation-based distributed event-triggering

This chapter studies the impact of communication constraints and uncertainties on the performance of multi-agent systems, while closing the local loops with embedded L₁ adaptive controllers. A communication and adaptation co-design scheme is proposed that helps to predict system performance. With this scheme, an agent locally determines its broadcast time instants using distributed event-triggering. The embedded L₁ adaptive controller enables each agent to compensate for the local uncertainties and disturbances. Performance bounds are derived on the difference between the signals of the ideal model (in the absence of uncertainties and with perfect communication) and the real system operating with the proposed co-design scheme, which can be arbitrarily reduced subject only to hardware limitations. These results can be used for design guidelines in safety-critical applications.