Coupled Output Synchronization for Leader-Follower Vehicle Platooning

A novel framework in multi-agent system networks is introduced and analyzed in this article, namely coupled output synchronization over directed graph topologies. Under assumptions of a rooted spanning tree, we design a distributed control law for synchronization of Laplacian coupled outputs of double integrator dynamics. The analysis of the closed-loop systems communicating over digraphs is carried out via Lyapunov methods. The vehicle platooning problem is demonstrated as a direct application of our results on coupled output synchronization. The control is distributed and independent of the knowledge of eigenvalues of the graph Laplacian. Simulations verify the performance of the controller with and without disturbance.