In this paper, we solve the leader-following consensus problem using a hierarchical nearly cyclic pursuit (HNCP) strategy for multi-agent systems. We extend the nearly cyclic pursuit strategy and the two-layer HNCP to the generalized L-layer HNCP that enables the agents to rendezvous at a point dictated by a beacon. We prove that the convergence rate of the generalized L-layer HNCP for the leader-following consensus problem is faster than that of the nearly cyclic pursuit. Simulation results demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed method.
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