Guangze Yang

Distributed Robust Time-Varying Formation Control for Multi-Agent Systems under Disturbances

Authors: Guang-Ze Yang¹ and Zi-Jiang Yang²

Abstract​

This work considers the problem of time-varying formation tracking control of second-order multi-agent systems under disturbances. The DR-TVFC (Distributed Robust Time-Varying Formation Control) approach is proposed, including distributed finite-time estimators of the leader's states and sliding mode time-varying formation controllers.

This guide explains how to set up Visual Studio Code (VS Code) for remote development on a Raspberry Pi using SSH. This setup allows you to develop IoT and embedded projects directly on the Raspberry Pi while maintaining the comfort of your local development environment.

Overview​

Remote development on Raspberry Pi offers several advantages:

• Direct hardware access: Work with GPIO, sensors, and peripherals directly
• Consistent environment: Use your local VS Code setup with Pi's resources
• Efficient development: No need to transfer files manually
• Real-time testing: Test embedded applications in the target environment

Prerequisites​

• Raspberry Pi with Raspberry Pi OS installed
• Local machine with VS Code
• Network connection between both devices
• Basic familiarity with SSH and command line

Building a ROS development environment with Docker solves environment dependency issues and allows using multiple ROS versions on the same system. This guide explains in detail how to build a ROS environment with Docker.

This guide explains the basic operations for creating, starting, and managing Docker containers. It includes settings for using GUI applications (VS Code, RViz, etc.) within Docker.

By default, Docker commands require root privileges (sudo) to execute. However, with proper configuration, regular users can run Docker commands without sudo.

Docker Hub is a cloud-based registry service for storing and sharing Docker images. This guide covers Docker Hub login, image pushing, and troubleshooting.

Tmux (Terminal Multiplexer) is a powerful command-line tool that allows you to manage multiple terminal sessions within a single window. It's essential for developers, system administrators, and anyone who works extensively with the command line.

Overview​

Tmux enables you to:

• Run multiple programs simultaneously in separate windows and panes
• Detach and reattach to sessions, maintaining long-running processes
• Share sessions between multiple users or terminals
• Organize workflows with custom layouts and configurations
• Maintain persistent sessions that survive SSH disconnections

Key Concepts​

• Session: A collection of windows managed together
• Window: A single screen containing one or more panes
• Pane: Individual terminal instances within a window
• Prefix Key: Command key combination (default: Ctrl+b)

This comprehensive guide explains how to safely remove Ubuntu from a Windows dual-boot system, clean up partitions, and restore the Windows bootloader. Follow these steps carefully to avoid data loss and system issues.

Overview​

When Ubuntu is installed alongside Windows in a dual-boot configuration, it typically:

• Creates Linux partitions (root, swap, sometimes home)
• Installs GRUB bootloader to manage boot options
• Adds EFI entries for Linux boot process
• Modifies system boot sequence

Proper removal requires:

1. Backing up important data
2. Removing Ubuntu EFI entries
3. Deleting Ubuntu partitions
4. Restoring Windows bootloader
5. Reclaiming disk space

Prerequisites​

Required Access​

• Windows Administrator privileges
• Physical access to the computer
• Windows installation media (for recovery if needed)

Recommended Preparations​

• Complete data backup of important files
• Create Windows recovery drive
• Document current partition layout
• Note Ubuntu version and installation details

System Requirements​

• UEFI-based system (most modern computers)
• Windows 10/11 with Disk Management tools
• Stable power supply during the process

When working on remote development via SSH, you sometimes need a graphical user interface (GUI). This guide explains how to set up and use an X server on Windows to run graphical Linux applications remotely via SSH, perfect for scenarios like using ROS with VS Code on a Windows machine while connecting to a Linux host.

Overview​

X11 forwarding allows you to run graphical applications on a remote Linux machine and display them on your local Windows desktop. This is particularly useful for:

• Remote development with GUI tools
• Running ROS applications with visualization (RViz, Gazebo)
• Using Linux-specific GUI applications from Windows
• Docker containers with GUI applications

This comprehensive guide explains how to configure a static IP address on Ubuntu using the netplan configuration system. Setting a static IP is essential for servers, network devices, or any system that requires a consistent network address for reliable connectivity.

Overview​

Static IP addresses provide several advantages over dynamic IP assignment:

• Consistent Network Identity: Same IP address after reboots and network changes
• Server Applications: Essential for hosting services that clients need to find
• Network Management: Easier to manage firewall rules and network policies
• Remote Access: Reliable SSH and remote desktop connections
• Port Forwarding: Stable configuration for router port forwarding rules

Prerequisites​

• Ubuntu system with network connectivity
• Administrative (sudo) privileges
• Basic understanding of network concepts (IP, subnet, gateway)
• Access to your network's configuration details

Understanding Netplan​

Ubuntu uses netplan as the default network configuration system since Ubuntu 18.04. Netplan:

• Uses YAML configuration files for network settings
• Supports both NetworkManager and systemd-networkd as backends
• Provides a unified configuration approach across Ubuntu systems
• Validates configuration before applying changes