Cooperatively surrounding control for multiple Euler–Lagrange systems subjected to uncertain dynamics and input constraints

In this paper, we investigate cooperatively surrounding control (CSC) of multi-agent systems modeled by Euler–Lagrange (EL) equations under a directed graph. With the consideration of the uncertain dynamics in an EL system, a backstepping CSC algorithm combined with neural-networks is proposed first such that the agents can move cooperatively to surround the stationary target. Then, a command filtered backstepping CSC algorithm is further proposed to deal with the constraints on control input and the absence of neighbors’ velocity information. Numerical examples of eight satellites surrounding one space target illustrate the effectiveness of the theoretical results.