Finite-time output regulation for a class of nonlinear multi-agent systems with unity relative degree

In this paper, we consider a finite-time output regulation problem for a class of nonlinear multi-agent systems with unity relative degree. First, the robust estimation for the system matrix of the exosystem is achieved via a distributed observer, provided that the estimation error converges to zero within a finite time. Second, another observer is developed to estimate the nonlinear output of the exosystem, showing that the estimation error of the output of the exosystem reaches zero within a finite time under the assumption that only a subset of subsystems can obtain the output of the exosystem. Third, adaptive controllers are proposed such that the estimation error between the output of each subsystem and the estimated output of the exosystem converges to zero within a finite time by using the output information of each subsystem. Finally, the global finite-time output regulation problem of nonlinear multi-agent systems with unity relative degree is solved under a set of standard assumptions. A numerical example is presented to demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed adaptive control strategy.