Spatially-Aware Adaptive Trajectory Optimization with Controller-Guided Feedback for Autonomous Racing
Abstract
We present a closed-loop framework for autonomous raceline optimization that combines NURBS-based trajectory representation, CMA-ES global trajectory optimization, and controller-guided spatial feedback. Instead of treating tracking errors as transient disturbances, our method exploits them as informative signals of local track characteristics via a Kalman-inspired spatial update. This enables the construction of an adaptive, acceleration-based constraint map that iteratively refines trajectories toward near-optimal performance under spatially varying track and vehicle behavior. In simulation, our approach achieves a 17.38% lap time reduction compared to a controller parametrized with maximum static acceleration. On real hardware, tested with different tire compounds ranging from high to low friction, we obtain a 7.60% lap time improvement without explicitly parametrizing friction. This demonstrates robustness to changing grip conditions in real-world scenarios.
Keywords
Cite
@article{arxiv.2602.15642,
title = {Spatially-Aware Adaptive Trajectory Optimization with Controller-Guided Feedback for Autonomous Racing},
author = {Alexander Wachter and Alexander Willert and Marc-Philip Ecker and Christian Hartl-Nesic},
journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:2602.15642},
year = {2026}
}
Comments
Accepted at ICRA 2026