An enhanced event-triggered distributed fixed-time controller for multi-agent systems with random time-delays

This paper deals with the problem of cooperative control of time-delayed multi-agent systems. The objective is to achieve fixed-time regulation and reference tracking of multi-agent systems with a random time-delay in presence of external disturbances. In this work, an enhanced event-triggered distributed cooperative control technique is proposed for fixed-time consensus of multi-agent systems with random time-delay and external disturbances. The controller expression contains two terms: a term that ensures fixed-time consensus in absence of time-delay and a second term triggered by the delay detection, and that compensates in fixed time the time-delay effect. The main features of the controller designed in this work compared to the literature are: 1) It ensures reference tracking and regulation of time-delayed multi-agent systems before the desired pre-fixed maximum settling time, despite the random constant or variable time-delays and the external disturbances. 2) The pre-fixed maximum settling time is independent of the value of the time-delay. 3) Unlike conventional event-triggered control systems, in absence of the time-delay, the control signal is not maintained constant but only the time-delay compensating term is deactivated, and fixed-time consensus is still ensured by the remaining term of the controller expression. Comparative numerical case studies with fixed time and conventional asymptotic control are provided to highlight the efficiency of the proposed approach.