Related papers: Autonomous docking using direct optimal control
We consider a distribution logistics scenario where a shipping operator, managing a limited amount of resources, receives a stream of collection requests, issued by a set of customers along a booking time-horizon, that are referred to a…
While both navigation and manipulation are challenging topics in isolation, many tasks require the ability to both navigate and manipulate in concert. To this end, we propose a mobile manipulation system that leverages novel navigation and…
Self-assembly enables multi-robot systems to merge diverse capabilities and accomplish tasks beyond the reach of individual robots. Incorporating varied docking mechanisms layouts (DMLs) can enhance robot versatility or reduce costs.…
In this study, we are concerned with autonomous driving missions when a static obstacle blocks a given reference trajectory. To provide a realistic control design, we employ a model predictive control (MPC) utilizing nonlinear state-space…
For active intervention tasks in underwater environments, the use of autonomous vehicles is just now emerging as an active area of research. During operation, for various reasons, the robot might find itself on a collision course with an…
Autonomous navigation in ice-covered waters poses significant challenges due to the frequent lack of viable collision-free trajectories. When complete obstacle avoidance is infeasible, it becomes imperative for the navigation strategy to…
A simulation environment of harbor maneuvers is critical for developing automatic berthing. Dynamic models are widely used to estimate harbor maneuvers. However, human decision-making and data analysis are necessary to derive, select, and…
Service robots have demonstrated significant potential for autonomous trolley collection and redistribution in public spaces like airports or warehouses to improve efficiency and reduce cost. Usually, a fully autonomous system for the…
Recent efforts in the development of autonomous driving technology have induced great advancements in perception, planning and control systems. Model predictive control is one of the most popular advanced control methods, but its…
We propose a learning-based, distributionally robust model predictive control approach towards the design of adaptive cruise control (ACC) systems. We model the preceding vehicle as an autonomous stochastic system, using a hybrid model with…
Recent research on deep learning, a set of machine learning techniques able to learn deep architectures, has shown how robotic perception and action greatly benefits from these techniques. In terms of spacecraft navigation and control…
The robotics community is increasingly interested in autonomous aerial transportation. Unmanned aerial vehicles with suspended payloads have advantages over other systems, including mechanical simplicity and agility, but pose great…
Roll stabilization is an important problem of ship motion control. This problem becomes especially difficult if the same set of actuators (e.g. a single rudder) has to be used for roll stabilization and heading control of the vessel, so…
It is well-known that proper scaling can increase the efficiency of computational problems. In this paper we define and show that a balancing technique can substantially improve the computational efficiency of optimal control algorithms. We…
Multi-rotor UAVs face limited flight time due to battery constraints. Autonomous docking on blimps with onboard battery recharging and data offloading offers a promising solution for extended UAV missions. However, the vulnerability of…
The paper proposes a method for the correct by design coordination of autonomous driving systems (ADS). It builds on previous results on collision avoidance policies and the modeling of ADS by combining descriptions of their static…
Active many-body systems composed of many interacting degrees of freedom often operate out of equilibrium, giving rise to non-trivial emergent behaviors which can be functional in both evolved and engineered contexts. This naturally…
In this paper, we study the optimal control of a mixed-autonomy platoon driving on a single lane to smooth traffic flow. The platoon consists of autonomous vehicles, whose acceleration is controlled, and human-driven vehicles, whose…
Cameras are rapidly becoming the choice for on-board sensors towards space rendezvous due to their small form factor and inexpensive power, mass, and volume costs. When it comes to docking, however, they typically serve a secondary role,…
Underwater robot interventions require a high level of safety and reliability. A major challenge to address is a robust and accurate acquisition of localization estimates, as it is a prerequisite to enable more complex tasks, e.g. floating…