Coordination and Consensus over Networks: A Risk-Averse Protocol

Abstract Distributed coordination and consensus are investigated for wireless networks of loosely coupled physical entities (also known as agents) interacting in noisy environments. Bernoulli random transmissions and pulse-coupled power control iterations are proposed from an engineering standpoint for energy efficiency and scalability. Understanding of dynamic network topology adjustments is found to be critical for coordination and consensus. The statistical optimal control proposed herein highlights the interplay of agent interactions and network reliability for coordination and consensus. It is expected that these research findings would provide useful guidelines of a potential deployment of fractionated autonomous aerospace systems.