Model-based event-triggered adaptive formation control for underactuated surface vehicles via the minimal learning parameter technique.

This article presents an adaptive neural formation control algorithm for underactuated surface vehicles by the model-based event-triggered method. In the algorithm, the leader–follower structure is employed to construct the formation model. Meanwhile, two new coordinate variables are introduced to avoid the possible singularity problem that exists in the polar coordinate system. Furthermore, the event-triggered mechanism is developed by constructing the adaptive model in a concise form. Related state variables and control parameters are required to be updated only at the event-triggered instants. Thus, the communication load between the controller and the actuator could be effectively reduced. Besides, for merits of the radial basis function neural network and the minimal learning parameter techniques, only two adaptive parameters are employed to compensate for the effects of the model uncertainties and the external disturbances. With the Lyapunov theory, all signals in the closed-loop system are proved to be semi-global uniformly ultimately bounded. Finally, numerical simulations are conducted to illustrate the effectiveness and feasibility of the proposed algorithm. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]