Episodic Learning with Control Lyapunov Functions for Uncertain Robotic Systems

Many modern nonlinear control methods aim to endow systems with guaranteed properties, such as stability or safety, and have been successfully applied to the domain of robotics. However, model uncertainty remains a persistent challenge, weakening theoretical guarantees and causing implementation failures on physical systems. This paper develops a machine learning framework centered around Control Lyapunov Functions (CLFs) to adapt to parametric uncertainty and unmodeled dynamics in general robotic systems. Our proposed method proceeds by iteratively updating estimates of Lyapunov function derivatives and improving controllers, ultimately yielding a stabilizing quadratic program model-based controller. We validate our approach on a planar Segway simulation, demonstrating substantial performance improvements by iteratively refining on a base model-free controller

Finite-Time Adaptive Fuzzy Tracking Control for Nonlinear State Constrained Pure-Feedback Systems

This paper investigates the finite-time adaptive fuzzy tracking control problem for a class of pure-feedback system with full-state constraints. With the help of Mean-Value Theorem, the pure-feedback nonlinear system is transformed into strict-feedback case. By employing finite-time-stable like function and state transformation for output tracking error, the output tracking error converges to a predefined set in a fixed finite interval. To tackle the problem of state constraints, integral Barrier Lyapunov functions are utilized to guarantee that the state variables remain within the prescribed constraints with feasibility check. Fuzzy logic systems are utilized to approximate the unknown nonlinear functions. In addition, all the signals in the closed-loop system are guaranteed to be semi-global ultimately uniformly bounded. Finally, two simulation examples are given to show the effectiveness of the proposed control strategy

Adaptive Fuzzy Tracking Control for Nonlinear State Constrained Pure-Feedback Systems With Input Delay via Dynamic Surface Technique

This brief constructs the adaptive backstepping control scheme for a class of pure-feedback systems with input delay and full state constraints. With the help of Mean Value Theorem, the pure-feedback system is transformed into strict-feedback one. Barrier Lyapunov functions are employed to guarantee all of the states remain constrained within predefined sets. By introducing the Pade approximation method and corresponding intermediate, the impact generated by input delay on the output tracking performance of the system can be eliminated. Furthermore, a low-pass filter driven by a newly-defined control input, is employed to generate the actual control input, which facilitates the design of backstepping control. To approximate the unknown functions with a desired level of accuracy, the fuzzy logic systems (FLSs) are utilized by choosing appropriate fuzzy rules, logics and so on. The minimal learning parameter (MLP) technique is employed to decrease the number of nodes and parameters in FLSs, and dynamic surface control (DSC) technique is leveraged to avoid so-called "explosion of complexity". Moreover, smooth robust compensators are introduced to circumvent the influences of external disturbance and approximation errors. By stability analysis, it is proved that all of signals in the closed-loop system are semi-globally ultimately uniform bounded, and the tracking error can be within a arbitrary small neighbor of origin via selecting appropriate parameters of controllers. Finally, the results of numerical illustration are provided to demonstrate the effectiveness of the designed method.Comment: arXiv admin note: text overlap with arXiv:2310.1540

Safe Learning of Quadrotor Dynamics Using Barrier Certificates

To effectively control complex dynamical systems, accurate nonlinear models are typically needed. However, these models are not always known. In this paper, we present a data-driven approach based on Gaussian processes that learns models of quadrotors operating in partially unknown environments. What makes this challenging is that if the learning process is not carefully controlled, the system will go unstable, i.e., the quadcopter will crash. To this end, barrier certificates are employed for safe learning. The barrier certificates establish a non-conservative forward invariant safe region, in which high probability safety guarantees are provided based on the statistics of the Gaussian Process. A learning controller is designed to efficiently explore those uncertain states and expand the barrier certified safe region based on an adaptive sampling scheme. In addition, a recursive Gaussian Process prediction method is developed to learn the complex quadrotor dynamics in real-time. Simulation results are provided to demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed approach.Comment: Submitted to ICRA 2018, 8 page

Adaptive Control of Unknown Pure Feedback Systems with Pure State Constraints

This paper deals with the tracking control problem for a class of unknown pure feedback system with pure state constraints on the state variables and unknown time-varying bounded disturbances. An adaptive controller is presented for such systems for the very first time. The controller is designed using the backstepping method. While designing it, Barrier Lyapunov Functions is used so that the state variables do not contravene its constraints. In order to cope with the unknown dynamics of the system, an online approximator is designed using a neural network with a novel adaptive law for its weight update. In the stability analysis of the system, the time derivative of Lyapunov function involves known virtual control coefficient with unknown direction and to deal with such problem Nussbaum gain is used to design the control law. Furthermore, to make the controller robust and computationally inexpensive, a novel disturbance observer is designed to estimate the disturbance along with neural network approximation error and the time derivative of virtual control input. The effectiveness of the proposed approach is demonstrated through a simulation study on the third-order nonlinear system