Convex Model Predictive Control for Safe Output Consensus of Nonlinear Multi-Agent Systems

Fuente: arXiv
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Main Authors: Wang, Chao, Zhang, Shuyuan, Wang, Lei
Format: Preprint
Published: 2026
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author Wang, Chao
Zhang, Shuyuan
Wang, Lei
author_facet Wang, Chao
Zhang, Shuyuan
Wang, Lei
contents Nonlinear dynamics and safety constraints typically result in a nonlinear programming problem when applying model predictive control to achieve safe output consensus. To avoid the heavy computational burden of solving a nonlinear programming problem directly, this paper proposes a novel Convex Model Predictive Control (CMPC) approach based on a Sequential Quadratic Programming (SQP) scheme. The core of our method lies in transforming the nonlinear constraints into linear forms: we linearize the system dynamics and convexify the discrete-time high-order control barrier functions using a proposed tangent-line projection method. Consequently, the original problem is reduced to a quadratic program that can be iteratively solved within the SQP scheme at each time step of CMPC. Furthermore, we provide the formal guarantee of the convergence of the SQP scheme, and subsequently guarantee the recursive feasibility and stability of CMPC. Simulations on multi-agent systems with unicycle dynamics demonstrate a 35-52 times reduction in computation time compared with baseline methods, confirming the suitability of the proposed approach for real-time safe output consensus control.
format Preprint
id arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2601_13057
institution arXiv
publishDate 2026
record_format arxiv
spellingShingle Convex Model Predictive Control for Safe Output Consensus of Nonlinear Multi-Agent Systems
Wang, Chao
Zhang, Shuyuan
Wang, Lei
Systems and Control
Nonlinear dynamics and safety constraints typically result in a nonlinear programming problem when applying model predictive control to achieve safe output consensus. To avoid the heavy computational burden of solving a nonlinear programming problem directly, this paper proposes a novel Convex Model Predictive Control (CMPC) approach based on a Sequential Quadratic Programming (SQP) scheme. The core of our method lies in transforming the nonlinear constraints into linear forms: we linearize the system dynamics and convexify the discrete-time high-order control barrier functions using a proposed tangent-line projection method. Consequently, the original problem is reduced to a quadratic program that can be iteratively solved within the SQP scheme at each time step of CMPC. Furthermore, we provide the formal guarantee of the convergence of the SQP scheme, and subsequently guarantee the recursive feasibility and stability of CMPC. Simulations on multi-agent systems with unicycle dynamics demonstrate a 35-52 times reduction in computation time compared with baseline methods, confirming the suitability of the proposed approach for real-time safe output consensus control.
title Convex Model Predictive Control for Safe Output Consensus of Nonlinear Multi-Agent Systems
topic Systems and Control
url https://arxiv.org/abs/2601.13057