Sliding Mode Variable Structure Control (SMC) has been widely used in typical nonlinear multi-robot control systems due to its quick response,strong adaptability,and easy engineering implementation.In this article,we introduce the SMC's development and principle,as well as its application in the field of multi-robot cooperative formation.In view of the SMC's defects such as chattering,which still hampered its application,we made an in-depth survey on researches of fusion of SMC with advanced intelligent control approaches such as neural networks,fuzzy logic,robust adaptive,and comparatively analyzed these new formation control strategies in aspects of response time,robustness against disturbances,and steady-state performance.Finally,the future research directions in SMC are prospected.