Distributed Formation Control of Multi-Agent Systems

This thesis addresses distributed control of multi-agent systems with a focus on formation flight control. As a central contribution, a novel controller synthesis scheme has been developed based on a descriptor representation of the multi-agent system and successfully tested in simulation. Furthermore, existing control approaches are examined in a simulation study and a new architecture is introduced, combining the advantages of existing schemes. For experimental validation, experimental setups involving multiple quad-rotor helicopters have been developed and are presented together with early experimental results.