Body randomization reduces the sim-to-real gap for compliant quadruped locomotion

Designing controllers for compliant, underactuated robots is challenging and usually requires a learning procedure. Learning robotic control in simulated environments can speed up the process whilst lowering risk of physical damage. Since perfect simulations are unfeasible, several techniques are used to improve transfer to the real world. Here, we investigate the impact of randomizing body parameters during learning of CPG controllers in simulation. The controllers are evaluated on our physical quadruped robot. We find that body randomization in simulation increases chances of finding gaits that function well on the real robot

PAC: A Novel Self-Adaptive Neuro-Fuzzy Controller for Micro Aerial Vehicles

There exists an increasing demand for a flexible and computationally efficient controller for micro aerial vehicles (MAVs) due to a high degree of environmental perturbations. In this work, an evolving neuro-fuzzy controller, namely Parsimonious Controller (PAC) is proposed. It features fewer network parameters than conventional approaches due to the absence of rule premise parameters. PAC is built upon a recently developed evolving neuro-fuzzy system known as parsimonious learning machine (PALM) and adopts new rule growing and pruning modules derived from the approximation of bias and variance. These rule adaptation methods have no reliance on user-defined thresholds, thereby increasing the PAC's autonomy for real-time deployment. PAC adapts the consequent parameters with the sliding mode control (SMC) theory in the single-pass fashion. The boundedness and convergence of the closed-loop control system's tracking error and the controller's consequent parameters are confirmed by utilizing the LaSalle-Yoshizawa theorem. Lastly, the controller's efficacy is evaluated by observing various trajectory tracking performance from a bio-inspired flapping-wing micro aerial vehicle (BI-FWMAV) and a rotary wing micro aerial vehicle called hexacopter. Furthermore, it is compared to three distinctive controllers. Our PAC outperforms the linear PID controller and feed-forward neural network (FFNN) based nonlinear adaptive controller. Compared to its predecessor, G-controller, the tracking accuracy is comparable, but the PAC incurs significantly fewer parameters to attain similar or better performance than the G-controller.Comment: This paper has been accepted for publication in Information Science Journal 201

Information-theoretic approach to the study of control systems

We propose an information-theoretic framework for analyzing control systems based on the close relationship of controllers to communication channels. A communication channel takes an input state and transforms it into an output state. A controller, similarly, takes the initial state of a system to be controlled and transforms it into a target state. In this sense, a controller can be thought of as an actuation channel that acts on inputs to produce desired outputs. In this transformation process, two different control strategies can be adopted: (i) the controller applies an actuation dynamics that is independent of the state of the system to be controlled (open-loop control); or (ii) the controller enacts an actuation dynamics that is based on some information about the state of the controlled system (closed-loop control). Using this communication channel model of control, we provide necessary and sufficient conditions for a system to be perfectly controllable and perfectly observable in terms of information and entropy. In addition, we derive a quantitative trade-off between the amount of information gathered by a closed-loop controller and its relative performance advantage over an open-loop controller in stabilizing a system. This work supplements earlier results [H. Touchette, S. Lloyd, Phys. Rev. Lett. 84, 1156 (2000)] by providing new derivations of the advantage afforded by closed-loop control and by proposing an information-based optimality criterion for control systems. New applications of this approach pertaining to proportional controllers, and the control of chaotic maps are also presented.Comment: 18 pages, 7 eps figure