Bearing Rigidity Theory and its Applications for Control and Estimation of Network Systems: Life Beyond Distance Rigidity

Abstract: The problem of distributed control and estimation for multi-agent systems with limited sensing capabilities is a practical challenge motivated by incomplete and imperfect sensing. This article addresses an important case where each agent in a network can only sense the relative bearings to their nearest neighbors. The study of this topic is motivated mainly by the rapid development of bearing-only sensors such as optical cameras or sensor arrays. This article provides a tutorial review on this topic focusing on the problems of formation control and network localization. A key component of this review is a presentation of the recently developed bearing rigidity theory, which defines a necessary architectural feature of multi-agent systems aiming to solve these two problems. This article presents a high-level summary of recently developed algorithms solving these problems, various simulation examples, and discussions pointing to the relevant literature and important remaining challenges in this area.