Distributed state estimation for independent linear systems with relative and absolute measurements

In this work we consider a set of dynamically independent subsystems with homogeneous models, interconnected through a suitable communication graph. We assume that relative measurements can be obtained and that there exists a set of subsystems that are endowed with sensors that provide absolute measurements. In this paper we propose a distributed state estimation algorithm, that allows each subsystem to obtain a reliable estimates of its state. We apply the proposed estimation scheme to a set of high-precision clocks.