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This brief is concerned with the time-varying formation problem for second-order networked multi-agent systems, which are subject to random communication delays and packet dropouts in the sensor-to-controller and controller-to-actuator channels of each agent. A cloud-based time-varying formation predictive control method with control input quantization is proposed to actively compensate for those random communication constraints. A definition of quantized time-varying formation is given, and then a necessary and sufficient condition to achieve the quantized time-varying formation as well as the stability of the resulting closed-loop system is obtained, which is independent of random communication constraints and quantization errors. Simulation results are provided to verify the effectiveness of the proposed method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This brief addresses the time-varying formation control problem with collision avoidance for second-order multi-agent systems. By taking both distances and velocities between agents into account, a novel collision avoidance scheme is proposed on the basis of conventional distance-based artificial potential field methods. Compared with the latter, the proposed scheme can more accurately determine possible collision situations and thus significantly reduce possible collision areas, which consequently not only can reduce energy consumption, but also has as few adverse effects on formation maintenance as possible. Then a time-varying formation control protocol is designed so as to achieve zero steady-state position and velocity formation tracking errors without collision. Finally, theoretical analysis, numerical demonstration, as well as comparative simulation are provided to verify the effectiveness of the proposed method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]