6,206 research outputs found
Contingency Model Predictive Control for Automated Vehicles
We present Contingency Model Predictive Control (CMPC), a novel and
implementable control framework which tracks a desired path while
simultaneously maintaining a contingency plan -- an alternate trajectory to
avert an identified potential emergency. In this way, CMPC anticipates events
that might take place, instead of reacting when emergencies occur. We
accomplish this by adding an additional prediction horizon in parallel to the
classical receding MPC horizon. The contingency horizon is constrained to
maintain a feasible avoidance solution; as such, CMPC is selectively robust to
this emergency while tracking the desired path as closely as possible. After
defining the framework mathematically, we demonstrate its effectiveness
experimentally by comparing its performance to a state-of-the-art deterministic
MPC. The controllers drive an automated research platform through a left-hand
turn which may be covered by ice. Contingency MPC prepares for the potential
loss of friction by purposefully and intuitively deviating from the prescribed
path to approach the turn more conservatively; this deviation significantly
mitigates the consequence of encountering ice.Comment: American Control Conference, July 2019; 6 page
Trajectory generation for road vehicle obstacle avoidance using convex optimization
This paper presents a method for trajectory generation using convex optimization to find a feasible, obstacle-free path for a road vehicle. Consideration of vehicle rotation is shown to be necessary if the trajectory is to avoid obstacles specified in a fixed Earth axis system. The paper establishes that, despite the presence of significant non-linearities, it is possible to articulate the obstacle avoidance problem in a tractable convex form using multiple optimization passes. Finally, it is shown by simulation that an optimal trajectory that accounts for the vehicle’s changing velocity throughout the manoeuvre is superior to a previous analytical method that assumes constant speed
Multi-Layered Optimal Navigation System For Quadrotors UAV
Purpose
This paper aims to propose a new multi-layered optimal navigation system that jointly optimizes the energy consumption, improves the robustness and raises the performance of a quadrotor unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV).
Design/methodology/approach
The proposed system is designed as a multi-layered system. First, the control architecture layer links the input and the output spaces via quaternion-based differential flatness equations. Then, the trajectory generation layer determines the optimal reference path and avoids obstacles to secure the UAV from collisions. Finally, the control layer allows the quadrotor to track the generated path and guarantees the stability using a double loop non-linear optimal backstepping controller (OBS).
Findings
All the obtained results are confirmed using several scenarios in different situations to prove the accuracy, energy optimization and the robustness of the designed system.
Practical implications
The proposed controllers are easily implementable on-board and are computationally efficient.
Originality/value
The originality of this research is the design of a multi-layered optimal navigation system for quadrotor UAV. The proposed control architecture presents a direct relation between the states and their derivatives, which then simplifies the trajectory generation problem. Furthermore, the derived differentially flat equations allow optimization to occur within the output space as opposed to the control space. This is beneficial because constraints such as obstacle avoidance occur in the output space; hence, the computation time for constraint handling is reduced. For the OBS, the novelty is that all controller parameters are derived using the multi-objective genetic algorithm (MO-GA) that optimizes all the quadrotor state’s cost functions jointly
Imitating Driver Behavior with Generative Adversarial Networks
The ability to accurately predict and simulate human driving behavior is
critical for the development of intelligent transportation systems. Traditional
modeling methods have employed simple parametric models and behavioral cloning.
This paper adopts a method for overcoming the problem of cascading errors
inherent in prior approaches, resulting in realistic behavior that is robust to
trajectory perturbations. We extend Generative Adversarial Imitation Learning
to the training of recurrent policies, and we demonstrate that our model
outperforms rule-based controllers and maximum likelihood models in realistic
highway simulations. Our model both reproduces emergent behavior of human
drivers, such as lane change rate, while maintaining realistic control over
long time horizons.Comment: 8 pages, 6 figure
The MRS UAV System: Pushing the Frontiers of Reproducible Research, Real-world Deployment, and Education with Autonomous Unmanned Aerial Vehicles
We present a multirotor Unmanned Aerial Vehicle control (UAV) and estimation
system for supporting replicable research through realistic simulations and
real-world experiments. We propose a unique multi-frame localization paradigm
for estimating the states of a UAV in various frames of reference using
multiple sensors simultaneously. The system enables complex missions in GNSS
and GNSS-denied environments, including outdoor-indoor transitions and the
execution of redundant estimators for backing up unreliable localization
sources. Two feedback control designs are presented: one for precise and
aggressive maneuvers, and the other for stable and smooth flight with a noisy
state estimate. The proposed control and estimation pipeline are constructed
without using the Euler/Tait-Bryan angle representation of orientation in 3D.
Instead, we rely on rotation matrices and a novel heading-based convention to
represent the one free rotational degree-of-freedom in 3D of a standard
multirotor helicopter. We provide an actively maintained and well-documented
open-source implementation, including realistic simulation of UAV, sensors, and
localization systems. The proposed system is the product of years of applied
research on multi-robot systems, aerial swarms, aerial manipulation, motion
planning, and remote sensing. All our results have been supported by real-world
system deployment that shaped the system into the form presented here. In
addition, the system was utilized during the participation of our team from the
CTU in Prague in the prestigious MBZIRC 2017 and 2020 robotics competitions,
and also in the DARPA SubT challenge. Each time, our team was able to secure
top places among the best competitors from all over the world. On each
occasion, the challenges has motivated the team to improve the system and to
gain a great amount of high-quality experience within tight deadlines.Comment: 28 pages, 20 figures, submitted to Journal of Intelligent & Robotic
Systems (JINT), for the provided open-source software see
http://github.com/ctu-mr
Cooperative look-ahead control for fuel-efficient and safe heavy-duty vehicle platooning
The operation of groups of heavy-duty vehicles (HDVs) at a small
inter-vehicular distance (known as platoon) allows to lower the overall
aerodynamic drag and, therefore, to reduce fuel consumption and greenhouse gas
emissions. However, due to the large mass and limited engine power of HDVs,
slopes have a significant impact on the feasible and optimal speed profiles
that each vehicle can and should follow. Therefore maintaining a short
inter-vehicular distance as required by platooning without coordination between
vehicles can often result in inefficient or even unfeasible trajectories. In
this paper we propose a two-layer control architecture for HDV platooning aimed
to safely and fuel-efficiently coordinate the vehicles in the platoon. Here,
the layers are responsible for the inclusion of preview information on road
topography and the real-time control of the vehicles, respectively. Within this
architecture, dynamic programming is used to compute the fuel-optimal speed
profile for the entire platoon and a distributed model predictive control
framework is developed for the real-time control of the vehicles. The
effectiveness of the proposed controller is analyzed by means of simulations of
several realistic scenarios that suggest a possible fuel saving of up to 12%
for the follower vehicles compared to the use of standard platoon controllers.Comment: 16 pages, 16 figures, submitted to journa
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