Physics-informed reinforcement learning via probabilistic co-adjustment functions

Reinforcement learning of real-world tasks is very data inefficient, and extensive simulation-based modelling has become the dominant approach for training systems. However, in human-robot interaction and many other real-world settings, there is no appropriate one-model-for-all due to differences in individual instances of the system (e.g. different people) or necessary oversimplifications in the simulation models. This requires two approaches: 1. either learning the individual system's dynamics approximately from data which requires data-intensive training or 2. using a complete digital twin of the instances, which may not be realisable in many cases. We introduce two approaches: co-kriging adjustments (CKA) and ridge regression adjustment (RRA) as novel ways to combine the advantages of both approaches. Our adjustment methods are based on an auto-regressive AR1 co-kriging model that we integrate with GP priors. This yield a data- and simulation-efficient way of using simplistic simulation models (e.g., simple two-link model) and rapidly adapting them to individual instances (e.g., biomechanics of individual people). Using CKA and RRA, we obtain more accurate uncertainty quantification of the entire system's dynamics than pure GP-based and AR1 methods. We demonstrate the efficiency of co-kriging adjustment with an interpretable reinforcement learning control example, learning to control a biomechanical human arm using only a two-link arm simulation model (offline part) and CKA derived from a small amount of interaction data (on-the-fly online). Our method unlocks an efficient and uncertainty-aware way to implement reinforcement learning methods in real world complex systems for which only imperfect simulation models exist

Neuromuscular Reinforcement Learning to Actuate Human Limbs through FES

Functional Electrical Stimulation (FES) is a technique to evoke muscle contraction through low-energy electrical signals. FES can animate paralysed limbs. Yet, an open challenge remains on how to apply FES to achieve desired movements. This challenge is accentuated by the complexities of human bodies and the non-stationarities of the muscles' responses. The former causes difficulties in performing inverse dynamics, and the latter causes control performance to degrade over extended periods of use. Here, we engage the challenge via a data-driven approach. Specifically, we learn to control FES through Reinforcement Learning (RL) which can automatically customise the stimulation for the patients. However, RL typically has Markovian assumptions while FES control systems are non-Markovian because of the non-stationarities. To deal with this problem, we use a recurrent neural network to create Markovian state representations. We cast FES controls into RL problems and train RL agents to control FES in different settings in both simulations and the real world. The results show that our RL controllers can maintain control performances over long periods and have better stimulation characteristics than PID controllers.Comment: Accepted manuscript IFESS 2022 (RehabWeek 2022