Event-triggered consensus for linear continuous-time multi-agent systems based on a predictor

In this paper, the problem of an event-triggered consensus for a linear continuous-time multi-agent system is investigated. A new event-triggered consensus protocol based on a predictor is proposed to achieve consensus while not requiring continuous communication among agents. The predictor utilizes an artificial closed-loop system to predict the future state of each agent. With the proposed consensus protocol, each agent only needs to monitor its own states to determine its event-triggered instants. When an event of an agent is triggered, the agent immediately updates its consensus protocol and sends its state information to its neighbors. When an agent receives state information from its neighbors, the agent immediately updates its consensus protocol and predictor. A necessary and sufficient condition that solves the consensus problem is derived. Moreover, it is proved that Zeno behaviors are excluded. Finally, some numerical examples are given to illustrate that, with the proposed protocol, a multi-agent system can achieve consensus while greatly reducing event-triggered times.