Multi-agent systems with CBF-based controllers -- collision avoidance and liveness from instability

Understand

Assuring system stability is typically a major control design objective.

• In this paper, we present a system where instability provides a crucial benefit.
• We consider multi-agent collision avoidance using Control Barrier Functions (CBF) and study trade-offs between safety and liveness -- the ability to reach a destination without large detours or gridlock.
• We compare two standard decentralized policies, with only the local (host) control available, to co-optimization policies (PCCA and CCS) where everyone's (virtual) control action is available.