This paper proposes a local gradient control law to stabilize a group of robots to a target formation. The control is derived from a potential function based on an undirected infinitesimally rigid graph that specifies the target formation. It is shown that infinitesimal rigidity is a sufficient condition for local asymptotical stability of the equilibrium manifold describing the target formation.
Laura Krick, Mireille E. Broucke, Bruce A. Francis