2,223 research outputs found
Safe Multi-Agent Interaction through Robust Control Barrier Functions with Learned Uncertainties
Robots operating in real world settings must navigate and maintain safety while interacting with many heterogeneous agents and obstacles. Multi-Agent Control Barrier Functions (CBF) have emerged as a computationally efficient tool to guarantee safety in multi-agent environments, but they assume perfect knowledge of both the robot dynamics and other agents' dynamics. While knowledge of the robot's dynamics might be reasonably well known, the heterogeneity of agents in real-world environments means there will always be considerable uncertainty in our prediction of other agents' dynamics. This work aims to learn high-confidence bounds for these dynamic uncertainties using Matrix-Variate Gaussian Process models, and incorporates them into a robust multi-agent CBF framework. We transform the resulting min-max robust CBF into a quadratic program, which can be efficiently solved in real time. We verify via simulation results that the nominal multi-agent CBF is often violated during agent interactions, whereas our robust formulation maintains safety with a much higher probability and adapts to learned uncertainties
Aerial navigation in obstructed environments with embedded nonlinear model predictive control
We propose a methodology for autonomous aerial navigation and obstacle
avoidance of micro aerial vehicles (MAV) using nonlinear model predictive
control (NMPC) and we demonstrate its effectiveness with laboratory
experiments. The proposed methodology can accommodate obstacles of arbitrary,
potentially non-convex, geometry. The NMPC problem is solved using PANOC: a
fast numerical optimization method which is completely matrix-free, is not
sensitive to ill conditioning, involves only simple algebraic operations and is
suitable for embedded NMPC. A C89 implementation of PANOC solves the NMPC
problem at a rate of 20Hz on board a lab-scale MAV. The MAV performs smooth
maneuvers moving around an obstacle. For increased autonomy, we propose a
simple method to compensate for the reduction of thrust over time, which comes
from the depletion of the MAV's battery, by estimating the thrust constant
A Nonlinear Model Predictive Control Scheme for Cooperative Manipulation with Singularity and Collision Avoidance
This paper addresses the problem of cooperative transportation of an object
rigidly grasped by robotic agents. In particular, we propose a Nonlinear
Model Predictive Control (NMPC) scheme that guarantees the navigation of the
object to a desired pose in a bounded workspace with obstacles, while complying
with certain input saturations of the agents. Moreover, the proposed
methodology ensures that the agents do not collide with each other or with the
workspace obstacles as well as that they do not pass through singular
configurations. The feasibility and convergence analysis of the NMPC are
explicitly provided. Finally, simulation results illustrate the validity and
efficiency of the proposed method.Comment: Simulation results with 3 agents adde
Proactive Emergency Collision Avoidance for Automated Driving in Highway Scenarios
Uncertainty in the behavior of other traffic participants is a crucial factor
in collision avoidance for automated driving; here, stochastic metrics should
often be considered to avoid overly conservative decisions. This paper
introduces a Stochastic Model Predictive Control (SMPC) planner for emergency
collision avoidance in highway scenarios to proactively minimize collision risk
while ensuring safety through chance constraints. To address the challenge of
guaranteeing the feasibility for the emergency trajectory, we incorporate
nonlinear tire dynamics in the prediction model of the ego vehicle. Further, we
exploit Max-Min-Plus-Scaling (MMPS) approximations of the nonlinearities to
avoid conservatism, enforce proactive collision avoidance, and improve
computational efficiency in terms of performance and speed. Consequently, our
contributions include integrating a dynamic ego vehicle model into the SMPC
planner, introducing the MMPS approximation for real-time implementation in
emergency scenarios, and integrating SMPC with hybridized chance constraints
and risk minimization. We evaluate our SMPC formulation in terms of proactivity
and efficiency in various hazardous scenarios. Moreover, we demonstrate the
effectiveness of our proposed approach by comparing it with a state-of-the-art
SMPC planner and validate the feasibility of generated trajectories using a
high-fidelity vehicle model in IPG CarMaker.Comment: 13 pages, 10 figures, submitted to IEEE Transactions on Control
Systems Technolog
A Robust Scenario MPC Approach for Uncertain Multi-modal Obstacles
Motion planning and control algorithms for autonomous vehicles need to be safe, and consider future movements of other road users to ensure collision-free trajectories. In this letter, we present a control scheme based on Model Predictive Control (MPC) with robust constraint satisfaction where the constraint uncertainty, stemming from the road users\u27 behavior, is multimodal. The method combines ideas from tube-based and scenario-based MPC strategies in order to approximate the expected cost and to guarantee robust state and input constraint satisfaction. In particular, we design a feedback policy that is a function of the disturbance mode and allows the controller to take less conservative actions. The effectiveness of the proposed approach is illustrated through two numerical simulations, where we compare it against a standard robust MPC formulation
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