Contact-Implicit Trajectory Optimization using Orthogonal Collocation

In this paper we propose a method to improve the accuracy of trajectory optimization for dynamic robots with intermittent contact by using orthogonal collocation. Until recently, most trajectory optimization methods for systems with contacts employ mode-scheduling, which requires an a priori knowledge of the contact order and thus cannot produce complex or non-intuitive behaviors. Contact-implicit trajectory optimization methods offer a solution to this by allowing the optimization to make or break contacts as needed, but thus far have suffered from poor accuracy. Here, we combine methods from direct collocation using higher order orthogonal polynomials with contact-implicit optimization to generate trajectories with significantly improved accuracy. The key insight is to increase the order of the polynomial representation while maintaining the assumption that impact occurs over the duration of one finite element

Optimization problems with low SWaP tactical Computing

In a resource-constrained, contested environment, computing resources need to be aware of possible size, weight, and power (SWaP) restrictions. SWaP-aware computational efficiency depends upon optimization of computational resources and intelligent time versus efficiency tradeoffs in decision making. In this paper we address the complexity of various optimization strategies related to low SWaP computing. Due to these restrictions, only a small subset of less complicated and fast computable algorithms can be used for tactical, adaptive computing.Comment: 8 pages, 1 figure. To appear in Proc. SPI

A Survey of Motion Planning and Control Techniques for Self-driving Urban Vehicles

Self-driving vehicles are a maturing technology with the potential to reshape mobility by enhancing the safety, accessibility, efficiency, and convenience of automotive transportation. Safety-critical tasks that must be executed by a self-driving vehicle include planning of motions through a dynamic environment shared with other vehicles and pedestrians, and their robust executions via feedback control. The objective of this paper is to survey the current state of the art on planning and control algorithms with particular regard to the urban setting. A selection of proposed techniques is reviewed along with a discussion of their effectiveness. The surveyed approaches differ in the vehicle mobility model used, in assumptions on the structure of the environment, and in computational requirements. The side-by-side comparison presented in this survey helps to gain insight into the strengths and limitations of the reviewed approaches and assists with system level design choices

Stabilization of polynomial dynamical systems using linear programming based on Bernstein polynomials

In this paper, we deal with the problem of synthesizing static output feedback controllers for stabilizing polynomial systems. Our approach jointly synthesizes a Lyapunov function and a static output feedback controller that stabilizes the system over a given subset of the state-space. Specifically, our approach is simultaneously targeted towards two goals: (a) asymptotic Lyapunov stability of the system, and (b) invariance of a box containing the equilibrium. Our approach uses Bernstein polynomials to build a linear relaxation of polynomial optimization problems, and the use of a so-called "policy iteration" approach to deal with bilinear optimization problems. Our approach can be naturally extended to synthesizing hybrid feedback control laws through a combination of state-space decomposition and Bernstein polynomials. We demonstrate the effectiveness of our approach on a series of numerical benchmark examples

Latin Puzzles

Based on a previous generalization by the author of Latin squares to Latin boards, this paper generalizes partial Latin squares and related objects like partial Latin squares, completable partial Latin squares and Latin square puzzles. The latter challenge players to complete partial Latin squares, Sudoku being the most popular variant nowadays. The present generalization results in partial Latin boards, completable partial Latin boards and Latin puzzles. Provided examples of Latin puzzles illustrate how they differ from puzzles based on Latin squares. The examples include Sudoku Ripeto and Custom Sudoku, two new Sudoku variants. This is followed by a discussion of methods to find Latin boards and Latin puzzles amenable to being solved by human players, with an emphasis on those based on constraint programming. The paper also includes an analysis of objective and subjective ways to measure the difficulty of Latin puzzles.Comment: 41 pages, 31 figure

Formal Synthesis of Stochastic Systems via Control Barrier Certificates

This paper focuses on synthesizing control policies for discrete-time stochastic control systems together with a lower bound on the probability that the systems satisfy the complex temporal properties. The desired properties of the system are expressed as linear temporal logic (LTL) specifications over finite traces. In particular, our approach decomposes the given specification into simpler reachability tasks based on its automata representation. We then propose the use of so-called \emph{control barrier certificate} to solve those simpler reachability tasks along with computing the corresponding controllers and probability bounds. Finally, we combine those controllers to obtain a hybrid control policy solving the considered problem. Under some assumptions, we also provide two systematic approaches for uncountable and finite input sets to search for control barrier certificates. We demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed approach on a room temperature control and lane-keeping of a vehicle modeled as a four-dimensional single-track kinematic model. We compare our results with the discretization-based methods in the literature.Comment: 22 pages, 11 figures. arXiv admin note: text overlap with arXiv:1807.0006

Differential Search Algorithm-based Parametric Optimization of Fuzzy Generalized Eigenvalue Proximal Support Vector Machine

Support Vector Machine (SVM) is an effective model for many classification problems. However, SVM needs the solution of a quadratic program which require specialized code. In addition, SVM has many parameters, which affects the performance of SVM classifier. Recently, the Generalized Eigenvalue Proximal SVM (GEPSVM) has been presented to solve the SVM complexity. In real world applications data may affected by error or noise, working with this data is a challenging problem. In this paper, an approach has been proposed to overcome this problem. This method is called DSA-GEPSVM. The main improvements are carried out based on the following: 1) a novel fuzzy values in the linear case. 2) A new Kernel function in the nonlinear case. 3) Differential Search Algorithm (DSA) is reformulated to find near optimal values of the GEPSVM parameters and its kernel parameters. The experimental results show that the proposed approach is able to find the suitable parameter values, and has higher classification accuracy compared with some other algorithms

Programmable Cellular Automata Based Efficient Parallel AES Encryption Algorithm

Cellular Automata(CA) is a discrete computing model which provides simple, flexible and efficient platform for simulating complicated systems and performing complex computation based on the neighborhoods information. CA consists of two components 1) a set of cells and 2) a set of rules . Programmable Cellular Automata(PCA) employs some control signals on a Cellular Automata(CA) structure. Programmable Cellular Automata were successfully applied for simulation of biological systems, physical systems and recently to design parallel and distributed algorithms for solving task density and synchronization problems. In this paper PCA is applied to develop cryptography algorithms. This paper deals with the cryptography for a parallel AES encryption algorithm based on programmable cellular automata. This proposed algorithm based on symmetric key systems

Fuel Minimisation for a Vehicle Equipped with a Flywheel and Battery on a Three-Dimensional Track

An optimal control based methodology is proposed for minimising the combustible fuel consumption of a hybrid vehicle equipped with an internal combustion engine, a high-speed flywheel and a battery. The three-dimensionality of the road is recognised by the optimal control calculations. Fuel efficiency is achieved by optimally exploiting the primary and secondary energy sources and controlling the vehicle so that the fuel consumption is minimised for a given, but arbitrary three-dimensional route. A time-of-arrival constraint rather than a driving cycle is used. The benefits of using multiple auxiliary storage systems are demonstrated and a lower-bound estimate of the fuel consumption is presented

Controller Synthesis for Discrete-time Hybrid Polynomial Systems via Occupation Measures

We consider the feedback design for stabilizing a rigid body system by making and breaking multiple contacts with the environment without prespecifying the timing or the number of occurrence of the contacts. We model such a system as a discrete-time hybrid polynomial system, where the state-input space is partitioned into several polytopic regions with each region associated with a different polynomial dynamics equation. Based on the notion of occupation measures, we present a novel controller synthesis approach that solves finite-dimensional semidefinite programs as approximations to an infinite-dimensional linear program to stabilize the system. The optimization formulation is simple and convex, and for any fixed degree of approximations the computational complexity is polynomial in the state and control input dimensions. We illustrate our approach on some robotics examples.Comment: Accepted by ICRA 2019. Some text overlap with arXiv:1803.09022 in introducing standard notations and preliminary knowledge. arXiv admin note: text overlap with arXiv:1803.0902