Our proposed research is concerned with the design of distributed algorithms for networks of agents with communication/sensing capabilities. Our novel algorithms will be capable of exploiting fea- tures of the communication/sensing topology and heterogeneities in the design paradigm in order to complete coordinated tasks in the face of constraints (such as actuator saturation or communication rate constraints) and stochastic or nonrandom topological variations. Hence, the algorithms will be well-suited for modern applications such as autonomous-vehicle coordination, sensor network-based detection, and air trafficc flow management, among others. Our proposed methodology for designing these sensing-network algorithms is control-theoretic in nature. We will draw on several control-theoretic tools|most prominently, tools that use the notion of a fixed-mode in decentralized control theory and the influence model paradigm|to gain insight into distributed algorithm performance and design. In particular, we will systematically characterize and design algorithms for a sequence of canonical tasks, including formation, agree- ment, and self-partitioning tasks, and tasks for internally-coupled networks (such as Air Traffic Systems or electric power systems). For each canonical task, our goal will be to identify the topo- logical structure and degree of design heterogeneity needed to achieve high performance in the face of realistic contstraints and topological variation. The underlying control-theoretic tools will be extended based on our algorithm-design needs (e.g., they will be extended to be account for topological variation), and simulations and experiments of complex tasks will be performed. The intellectual merit of the proposal is evident: difficult distributed control problems are addressed to in order to develop novel sensing-network algorithms. The broader impact of our research is significant: a new course on network dynamics and control has been designed and is currently being taught here at Washington State University, and efforts will be made to foster interest and disseminate information about sensing networks and their control.
