3,702 research outputs found
Active Learning of Discrete-Time Dynamics for Uncertainty-Aware Model Predictive Control
Model-based control requires an accurate model of the system dynamics for
precisely and safely controlling the robot in complex and dynamic environments.
Moreover, in the presence of variations in the operating conditions, the model
should be continuously refined to compensate for dynamics changes. In this
paper, we present a self-supervised learning approach that actively models the
dynamics of nonlinear robotic systems. We combine offline learning from past
experience and online learning from current robot interaction with the unknown
environment. These two ingredients enable a highly sample-efficient and
adaptive learning process, capable of accurately inferring model dynamics in
real-time even in operating regimes that greatly differ from the training
distribution. Moreover, we design an uncertainty-aware model predictive
controller that is heuristically conditioned to the aleatoric (data)
uncertainty of the learned dynamics. This controller actively chooses the
optimal control actions that (i) optimize the control performance and (ii)
improve the efficiency of online learning sample collection. We demonstrate the
effectiveness of our method through a series of challenging real-world
experiments using a quadrotor system. Our approach showcases high resilience
and generalization capabilities by consistently adapting to unseen flight
conditions, while it significantly outperforms classical and adaptive control
baselines
Bayesian Deep Net GLM and GLMM
Deep feedforward neural networks (DFNNs) are a powerful tool for functional
approximation. We describe flexible versions of generalized linear and
generalized linear mixed models incorporating basis functions formed by a DFNN.
The consideration of neural networks with random effects is not widely used in
the literature, perhaps because of the computational challenges of
incorporating subject specific parameters into already complex models.
Efficient computational methods for high-dimensional Bayesian inference are
developed using Gaussian variational approximation, with a parsimonious but
flexible factor parametrization of the covariance matrix. We implement natural
gradient methods for the optimization, exploiting the factor structure of the
variational covariance matrix in computation of the natural gradient. Our
flexible DFNN models and Bayesian inference approach lead to a regression and
classification method that has a high prediction accuracy, and is able to
quantify the prediction uncertainty in a principled and convenient way. We also
describe how to perform variable selection in our deep learning method. The
proposed methods are illustrated in a wide range of simulated and real-data
examples, and the results compare favourably to a state of the art flexible
regression and classification method in the statistical literature, the
Bayesian additive regression trees (BART) method. User-friendly software
packages in Matlab, R and Python implementing the proposed methods are
available at https://github.com/VBayesLabComment: 35 pages, 7 figure, 10 table
Real-Time Collision Imminent Steering Using One-Level Nonlinear Model Predictive Control
Automotive active safety features are designed to complement or intervene a human driver's actions in safety critical situations. Existing active safety features, such as adaptive cruise control and lane keep assist, are able to exploit the ever growing sensor and computing capabilities of modern automobiles. An emerging feature, collision imminent steering, is designed to perform an evasive lane change to avoid collision if the vehicle believes collision cannot be avoided by braking alone. This is a challenging maneuver, as the expected highway setting is characterized by high speeds, narrow lane restrictions, and hard safety constraints. To perform such a maneuver, the vehicle may be required to operate at the nonlinear dynamics limits, necessitating advanced control strategies to enforce safety and drivability constraints.
This dissertation presents a one-level nonlinear model predictive controller formulation to perform a collision imminent steering maneuver in a highway setting at high speeds, with direct consideration of safety criteria in the highway environment and the nonlinearities characteristic of such a potentially aggressive maneuver. The controller is cognizant of highway sizing constraints, vehicle handling capability and stability limits, and time latency when calculating the control action. In simulated testing, it is shown the controller can avoid collision by conducting a lane change in roughly half the distance required to avoid collision by braking alone. In preliminary vehicle testing, it is shown the control formulation is compatible with the existing perception pipeline, and prescribed control action can safely perform a lane change at low speed.
Further, the controller must be suitable for real-time implementation and compatible with expected automotive control architecture. Collision imminent steering, and more broadly collision avoidance, control is a computationally challenging problem. At highway speeds, the required time for action is on the order of hundreds of milliseconds, requiring a control formulation capable of operating at tens of Hertz. To this extent, this dissertation investigates the computational expense of such a controller, and presents a framework for designing real-time compatible nonlinear model predictive controllers. Specifically, methods for numerically simulating the predicted vehicle response and response sensitivities are compared, their cross interaction with trajectory optimization strategy are considered, and the resulting mapping to a parallel computing hardware architecture is investigated. The framework systematically evaluates the underlying numerical optimization problem for bottlenecks, from which it provides alternative solutions strategies to achieve real-time performance. As applied to the baseline collision imminent steering controller, the procedure results in an approximate three order of magnitude reduction in compute wall time, supporting real-time performance and enabling preliminary testing on automotive grade hardware.PHDMechanical EngineeringUniversity of Michigan, Horace H. Rackham School of Graduate Studieshttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/163063/1/jbwurts_1.pd
Efficient Deep Learning of Robust Policies from MPC using Imitation and Tube-Guided Data Augmentation
Imitation Learning (IL) has been increasingly employed to generate
computationally efficient policies from task-relevant demonstrations provided
by Model Predictive Control (MPC). However, commonly employed IL methods are
often data- and computationally-inefficient, as they require a large number of
MPC demonstrations, resulting in long training times, and they produce policies
with limited robustness to disturbances not experienced during training. In
this work, we propose an IL strategy to efficiently compress a computationally
expensive MPC into a Deep Neural Network (DNN) policy that is robust to
previously unseen disturbances. By using a robust variant of the MPC, called
Robust Tube MPC (RTMPC), and leveraging properties from the controller, we
introduce a computationally-efficient Data Aggregation (DA) method that enables
a significant reduction of the number of MPC demonstrations and training time
required to generate a robust policy. Our approach opens the possibility of
zero-shot transfer of a policy trained from a single MPC demonstration
collected in a nominal domain, such as a simulation or a robot in a
lab/controlled environment, to a new domain with previously-unseen bounded
model errors/perturbations. Numerical and experimental evaluations performed
using linear and nonlinear MPC for agile flight on a multirotor show that our
method outperforms strategies commonly employed in IL (such as DAgger and DR)
in terms of demonstration-efficiency, training time, and robustness to
perturbations unseen during training.Comment: Under review. arXiv admin note: text overlap with arXiv:2109.0991
A Survey of Prediction and Classification Techniques in Multicore Processor Systems
In multicore processor systems, being able to accurately predict the future provides new optimization opportunities, which otherwise could not be exploited. For example, an oracle able to predict a certain application\u27s behavior running on a smart phone could direct the power manager to switch to appropriate dynamic voltage and frequency scaling modes that would guarantee minimum levels of desired performance while saving energy consumption and thereby prolonging battery life. Using predictions enables systems to become proactive rather than continue to operate in a reactive manner. This prediction-based proactive approach has become increasingly popular in the design and optimization of integrated circuits and of multicore processor systems. Prediction transforms from simple forecasting to sophisticated machine learning based prediction and classification that learns from existing data, employs data mining, and predicts future behavior. This can be exploited by novel optimization techniques that can span across all layers of the computing stack. In this survey paper, we present a discussion of the most popular techniques on prediction and classification in the general context of computing systems with emphasis on multicore processors. The paper is far from comprehensive, but, it will help the reader interested in employing prediction in optimization of multicore processor systems
Sub-grid modelling for two-dimensional turbulence using neural networks
In this investigation, a data-driven turbulence closure framework is
introduced and deployed for the sub-grid modelling of Kraichnan turbulence. The
novelty of the proposed method lies in the fact that snapshots from
high-fidelity numerical data are used to inform artificial neural networks for
predicting the turbulence source term through localized grid-resolved
information. In particular, our proposed methodology successfully establishes a
map between inputs given by stencils of the vorticity and the streamfunction
along with information from two well-known eddy-viscosity kernels. Through this
we predict the sub-grid vorticity forcing in a temporally and spatially dynamic
fashion. Our study is both a-priori and a-posteriori in nature. In the former,
we present an extensive hyper-parameter optimization analysis in addition to
learning quantification through probability density function based validation
of sub-grid predictions. In the latter, we analyse the performance of our
framework for flow evolution in a classical decaying two-dimensional turbulence
test case in the presence of errors related to temporal and spatial
discretization. Statistical assessments in the form of angle-averaged kinetic
energy spectra demonstrate the promise of the proposed methodology for sub-grid
quantity inference. In addition, it is also observed that some measure of
a-posteriori error must be considered during optimal model selection for
greater accuracy. The results in this article thus represent a promising
development in the formalization of a framework for generation of
heuristic-free turbulence closures from data
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State-of-the-art on research and applications of machine learning in the building life cycle
Fueled by big data, powerful and affordable computing resources, and advanced algorithms, machine learning has been explored and applied to buildings research for the past decades and has demonstrated its potential to enhance building performance. This study systematically surveyed how machine learning has been applied at different stages of building life cycle. By conducting a literature search on the Web of Knowledge platform, we found 9579 papers in this field and selected 153 papers for an in-depth review. The number of published papers is increasing year by year, with a focus on building design, operation, and control. However, no study was found using machine learning in building commissioning. There are successful pilot studies on fault detection and diagnosis of HVAC equipment and systems, load prediction, energy baseline estimate, load shape clustering, occupancy prediction, and learning occupant behaviors and energy use patterns. None of the existing studies were adopted broadly by the building industry, due to common challenges including (1) lack of large scale labeled data to train and validate the model, (2) lack of model transferability, which limits a model trained with one data-rich building to be used in another building with limited data, (3) lack of strong justification of costs and benefits of deploying machine learning, and (4) the performance might not be reliable and robust for the stated goals, as the method might work for some buildings but could not be generalized to others. Findings from the study can inform future machine learning research to improve occupant comfort, energy efficiency, demand flexibility, and resilience of buildings, as well as to inspire young researchers in the field to explore multidisciplinary approaches that integrate building science, computing science, data science, and social science
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