arXiv subjects

Ugo Rosolia

Publications and source records attributed to Ugo Rosolia.

At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources

arXiv2021

Learning to Control an Unstable System with One Minute of Data: Leveraging Gaussian Process Differentiation in Predictive Control

We present a straightforward and efficient way to control unstable robotic systems using an estimated dynamics model. Specifically, we show how to exploit the differentiability of Gaussian Processes to create a state-dependent linearized approximation of the true continuous dynamics that can be integrated with model predictive control. Our approach is compatible with most Gaussian process approaches for system identification, and can learn an accurate model using modest amounts of training data. We validate our approach by learning the dynamics of an unstable system such as a segway with a 7-D state space and 2-D input space (using only one minute of data), and we show that the resulting controller is robust to unmodelled dynamics and disturbances, while state-of-the-art control methods based on nominal models can fail under small perturbations. Code is open sourced at https://github.com/learning-and-control/core .

cs.RO↗

arXiv2021

Robust Learning Model Predictive Control for Linear Systems Performing Iterative Tasks

A robust Learning Model Predictive Controller (LMPC) for uncertain systems performing iterative tasks is presented. At each iteration of the control task the closed-loop state, input and cost are stored and used in the controller design. This paper first illustrates how to construct robust invariant sets and safe control policies exploiting historical data. Then, we propose an iterative LMPC design procedure, where data generated by a robust controller at iteration $j$ are used to design a robust LMPC at the next $j+1$ iteration. We show that this procedure allows us to iteratively enlarge the domain of the control policy and it guarantees recursive constraints satisfaction, input to state stability and performance bounds for the certainty equivalent closed-loop system. The use of an adaptive prediction horizon is the key element of the proposed design. The effectiveness of the proposed control scheme is illustrated on a linear system subject to bounded additive disturbance.

eess.SY↗

arXiv2021

Iterative Model Predictive Control for Piecewise Systems

In this paper, we present an iterative Model Predictive Control (MPC) design for piecewise nonlinear systems. We consider finite time control tasks where the goal of the controller is to steer the system from a starting configuration to a goal state while minimizing a cost function. First, we present an algorithm that leverages a feasible trajectory that completes the task to construct a control policy which guarantees that state and input constraints are recursively satisfied and that the closed-loop system reaches the goal state in finite time. Utilizing this construction, we present a policy iteration scheme that iteratively generates safe trajectories which have non-decreasing performance. Finally, we test the proposed strategy on a discretized Spring Loaded Inverted Pendulum (SLIP) model with massless legs. We show that our methodology is robust to changes in initial conditions and disturbances acting on the system. Furthermore, we demonstrate the effectiveness of our policy iteration algorithm in a minimum time control task.

eess.SY↗

arXiv2021

Constrained Risk-Averse Markov Decision Processes

We consider the problem of designing policies for Markov decision processes (MDPs) with dynamic coherent risk objectives and constraints. We begin by formulating the problem in a Lagrangian framework. Under the assumption that the risk objectives and constraints can be represented by a Markov risk transition mapping, we propose an optimization-based method to synthesize Markovian policies that lower-bound the constrained risk-averse problem. We demonstrate that the formulated optimization problems are in the form of difference convex programs (DCPs) and can be solved by the disciplined convex-concave programming (DCCP) framework. We show that these results generalize linear programs for constrained MDPs with total discounted expected costs and constraints. Finally, we illustrate the effectiveness of the proposed method with numerical experiments on a rover navigation problem involving conditional-value-at-risk (CVaR) and entropic-value-at-risk (EVaR) coherent risk measures.

cs.AI↗

arXiv2021

A Simple Robust MPC for Linear Systems with Parametric and Additive Uncertainty

We propose a simple and computationally efficient approach for designing a robust Model Predictive Controller (MPC) for constrained uncertain linear systems. The uncertainty is modeled as an additive disturbance and an additive error on the system dynamics matrices. Set based bounds for each component of the model uncertainty are assumed to be known. We separate the constraint tightening strategy into two parts, depending on the length of the MPC horizon. For a horizon length of one, the robust MPC problem is solved exactly, whereas for other horizon lengths, the model uncertainty is over-approximated with a net-additive component. The resulting MPC controller guarantees robust satisfaction of state and input constraints in closed-loop with the uncertain system. With appropriately designed terminal components and an adaptive horizon strategy, we prove the controller's recursive feasibility and stability of the origin. With numerical simulations, we demonstrate that our proposed approach gains up to 15x online computation speedup over a tube MPC strategy, while stabilizing about 98$\%$ of the latter's region of attraction.

eess.SY↗

arXiv2021

Multi-rate Control Design under Input Constraints via Fixed-Time Barrier Functions

In this paper, we introduce the notion of periodic safety, which requires that the system trajectories periodically visit a subset of a forward-invariant safe set, and utilize it in a multi-rate framework where a high-level planner generates a reference trajectory that is tracked by a low-level controller under input constraints. We introduce the notion of fixed-time barrier functions which is leveraged by the proposed low-level controller in a quadratic programming framework. Then, we design a model predictive control policy for high-level planning with a bound on the rate of change for the reference trajectory to guarantee that periodic safety is achieved. We demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed strategy on a simulation example, where the proposed fixed-time stabilizing low-level controller shows successful satisfaction of control objectives, whereas an exponentially stabilizing low-level controller fails.

eess.SY↗

arXiv2021

Time-Optimal Navigation in Uncertain Environments with High-Level Specifications

Mixed observable Markov decision processes (MOMDPs) are a modeling framework for autonomous systems described by both fully and partially observable states. In this work, we study the problem of synthesizing a control policy for MOMDPs that minimizes the expected time to complete the control task while satisfying syntactically co-safe Linear Temporal Logic (scLTL) specifications. First, we present an exact dynamic programming update to compute the value function. Afterwards, we propose a point-based approximation, which allows us to compute a lower bound of the closed-loop probability of satisfying the specifications. The effectiveness of the proposed approach and comparisons with standard strategies are shown on high-fidelity navigation tasks with partially observable static obstacles.

eess.SY↗

arXiv2021

Sample-Based Learning Model Predictive Control for Linear Uncertain Systems

We present a sample-based Learning Model Predictive Controller (LMPC) for constrained uncertain linear systems subject to bounded additive disturbances. The proposed controller builds on earlier work on LMPC for deterministic systems. First, we introduce the design of the safe set and value function used to guarantee safety and performance improvement. Afterwards, we show how these quantities can be approximated using noisy historical data. The effectiveness of the proposed approach is demonstrated on a numerical example. We show that the proposed LMPC is able to safely explore the state space and to iteratively improve the worst-case closed-loop performance, while robustly satisfying state and input constraints.

eess.SY↗

arXiv2021

Output-Lifted Learning Model Predictive Control

We propose a computationally efficient Learning Model Predictive Control (LMPC) scheme for constrained optimal control of a class of nonlinear systems where the state and input can be reconstructed using lifted outputs. For the considered class of systems, we show how to use historical trajectory data collected during iterative tasks to construct a convex value function approximation along with a convex safe set in a lifted space of virtual outputs. These constructions are iteratively updated with historical data and used to synthesize predictive control policies. We show that the proposed strategy guarantees recursive constraint satisfaction, asymptotic stability and non-decreasing closed-loop performance at each policy update. Finally, simulation results demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed strategy on a piecewise affine (PWA) system, kinematic unicycle and bilinear DC motor.

math.OC↗

arXiv2020

Trajectory Optimization for Nonlinear Multi-Agent Systems using Decentralized Learning Model Predictive Control

We present a decentralized minimum-time trajectory optimization scheme based on learning model predictive control for multi-agent systems with nonlinear decoupled dynamics and coupled state constraints. By performing the same task iteratively, data from previous task executions is used to construct and improve local time-varying safe sets and an approximate value function. These are used in a decoupled MPC problem as terminal sets and terminal cost functions. Our framework results in a decentralized controller, which requires no communication between agents over each iteration of task execution, and guarantees persistent feasibility, finite-time closed-loop convergence, and non-decreasing performance of the global system over task iterations. Numerical experiments of a multi-vehicle collision avoidance scenario demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed scheme.

eess.SY↗

arXiv2020

Reactive motion planning with probabilistic safety guarantees

Motion planning in environments with multiple agents is critical to many important autonomous applications such as autonomous vehicles and assistive robots. This paper considers the problem of motion planning, where the controlled agent shares the environment with multiple uncontrolled agents. First, a predictive model of the uncontrolled agents is trained to predict all possible trajectories within a short horizon based on the scenario. The prediction is then fed to a motion planning module based on model predictive control. We proved generalization bound for the predictive model using three different methods, post-bloating, support vector machine (SVM), and conformal analysis, all capable of generating stochastic guarantees of the correctness of the predictor. The proposed approach is demonstrated in simulation in a scenario emulating autonomous highway driving.

cs.RO↗

arXiv2020

Decentralized Task and Path Planning for Multi-Robot Systems

We consider a multi-robot system with a team of collaborative robots and multiple tasks that emerges over time. We propose a fully decentralized task and path planning (DTPP) framework consisting of a task allocation module and a localized path planning module. Each task is modeled as a Markov Decision Process (MDP) or a Mixed Observed Markov Decision Process (MOMDP) depending on whether full states or partial states are observable. The task allocation module then aims at maximizing the expected pure reward (reward minus cost) of the robotic team. We fuse the Markov model into a factor graph formulation so that the task allocation can be decentrally solved using the max-sum algorithm. Each robot agent follows the optimal policy synthesized for the Markov model and we propose a localized forward dynamic programming scheme that resolves conflicts between agents and avoids collisions. The proposed framework is demonstrated with high fidelity ROS simulations and experiments with multiple ground robots.

cs.RO↗

arXiv2020

Control of Unknown Nonlinear Systems with Linear Time-Varying MPC

We present a Model Predictive Control (MPC) strategy for unknown input-affine nonlinear dynamical systems. A non-parametric method is used to estimate the nonlinear dynamics from observed data. The estimated nonlinear dynamics are then linearized over time varying regions of the state space to construct an Affine Time Varying (ATV) model. Error bounds arising from the estimation and linearization procedure are computed by using sampling techniques. The ATV model and the uncertainty sets are used to design a robust Model Predictive Control (MPC) problem which guarantees safety for the unknown system with high probability. A simple nonlinear example demonstrates the effectiveness of the approach where commonly used linearization methods fail.

eess.SY↗

arXiv2020

Minimum Time Learning Model Predictive Control

In this paper we present a Learning Model Predictive Control (LMPC) strategy for linear and nonlinear time optimal control problems. Our work builds on existing LMPC methodologies and it guarantees finite time convergence properties for the closed-loop system. We show how to construct a time varying safe set and terminal cost function using closed-loop data. The resulting LMPC policy is time varying and it guarantees recursive constraint satisfaction and non-decreasing performance. Computational efficiency is obtained by convexifing the safe set and terminal cost function. We demonstrate that, for a class of nonlinear system and convex constraints, the convex LMPC formulation guarantees recursive constraint satisfaction and non-decreasing performance. Finally, we illustrate the effectiveness of the proposed strategies on minimum time obstacle avoidance and racing examples.

eess.SY↗

arXiv2020

Formal Verification of Safety Critical Autonomous Systems via Bayesian Optimization

As control systems become increasingly more complex, there exists a pressing need to find systematic ways of verifying them. To address this concern, there has been significant work in developing test generation schemes for black-box control architectures. These schemes test a black-box control architecture's ability to satisfy its control objectives, when these objectives are expressed as operational specifications through temporal logic formulae. Our work extends these prior, model based results by lower bounding the probability by which the black-box system will satisfy its operational specification, when subject to a pre-specified set of environmental phenomena. We do so by systematically generating tests to minimize a Lipschitz continuous robustness measure for the operational specification. We demonstrate our method with experimental results, wherein we show that our framework can reasonably lower bound the probability of specification satisfaction.

eess.SY↗

arXiv2020

Multi-Rate Control Design Leveraging Control Barrier Functions and Model Predictive Control Policies

In this paper we present a multi-rate control architecture for safety critical systems. We consider a high level planner and a low level controller which operate at different frequencies. This multi-rate behavior is described by a piecewise nonlinear model which evolves on a continuous and a discrete level. First, we present sufficient conditions which guarantee recursive constraint satisfaction for the closed-loop system. Afterwards, we propose a control design methodology which leverages Control Barrier Functions (CBFs) for low level control and Model Predictive Control (MPC) policies for high level planning. The control barrier function is designed using the full nonlinear dynamical model and the MPC is based on a simplified planning model. When the nonlinear system is control affine and the high level planning model is linear, the control actions are computed by solving convex optimization problems at each level of the hierarchy. Finally, we show the effectiveness of the proposed strategy on a simulation example, where the low level control action is updated at a higher frequency than the high level command.

eess.SY↗

arXiv2020

Distributed Learning Model Predictive Control for Linear Systems

This paper presents a distributed learning model predictive control (DLMPC) scheme for distributed linear time invariant systems with coupled dynamics and state constraints. The proposed solution method is based on an online distributed optimization scheme with nearest-neighbor communication. If the control task is iterative and data from previous feasible iterations are available, local data are exploited by the subsystems in order to construct the local terminal set and terminal cost, which guarantee recursive feasibility and asymptotic stability, as well as performance improvement over iterations. In case a first feasible trajectory is difficult to obtain, or the task is non-iterative, we further propose an algorithm that efficiently explores the state-space and generates the data required for the construction of the terminal cost and terminal constraint in the MPC problem in a safe and distributed way. In contrast to other distributed MPC schemes which use structured positive invariant sets, the proposed approach involves a control invariant set as the terminal set, on which we do not impose any distributed structure. The proposed iterative scheme converges to the global optimal solution of the underlying infinite horizon optimal control problem under mild conditions. Numerical experiments demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed DLMPC scheme.

eess.SY↗

arXiv2020

Safety Augmented Value Estimation from Demonstrations (SAVED): Safe Deep Model-Based RL for Sparse Cost Robotic Tasks

Reinforcement learning (RL) for robotics is challenging due to the difficulty in hand-engineering a dense cost function, which can lead to unintended behavior, and dynamical uncertainty, which makes exploration and constraint satisfaction challenging. We address these issues with a new model-based reinforcement learning algorithm, Safety Augmented Value Estimation from Demonstrations (SAVED), which uses supervision that only identifies task completion and a modest set of suboptimal demonstrations to constrain exploration and learn efficiently while handling complex constraints. We then compare SAVED with 3 state-of-the-art model-based and model-free RL algorithms on 6 standard simulation benchmarks involving navigation and manipulation and a physical knot-tying task on the da Vinci surgical robot. Results suggest that SAVED outperforms prior methods in terms of success rate, constraint satisfaction, and sample efficiency, making it feasible to safely learn a control policy directly on a real robot in less than an hour. For tasks on the robot, baselines succeed less than 5% of the time while SAVED has a success rate of over 75% in the first 50 training iterations. Code and supplementary material is available at https://tinyurl.com/saved-rl.

cs.LG↗