Actuator Fault Estimation for Multi-agent Systems: A Sliding-mode Observer-based Approach

This study is concerned with the design of a distributed fault estimation scheme for linear multi-agent systems subject to actuator faults. For each agent, a sliding-mode observer-based estimator module is proposed that uses the available local relative output measurements and the information transmitted from the neighboring agents. By considering the H-infinity performance index and using the linear matrix inequality technique, the parameters of the observers are designed such that the fault estimation is robust against disturbances. The proposed method improves the existing fault estimation techniques in terms of both complexity and performance. A simulation example is presented to illustrate the effectiveness of the proposed methodology.