Related papers: Autonomous Satellite Rendezvous and Proximity Oper…

We propose a Model Predictive Control (MPC) for collision avoidance between an autonomous agent and dynamic obstacles with uncertain predictions. The collision avoidance constraints are imposed by enforcing positive distance between convex…

In this paper, we present a control design methodology, stability criteria, and performance bounds for autonomous helicopter aerial refueling. Autonomous aerial refueling is particularly difficult due to the aerodynamic interaction between…

This paper investigates the mission planning problem for spacecraft confronting orbital debris to achieve autonomous avoidance. Firstly, combined with the avoidance requirements, a closed-loop framework of autonomous avoidance for orbital…

This paper shows how to find lower bounds on, and sometimes solve globally, a large class of nonlinear optimal control problems with impulsive controls using semi-definite programming (SDP). This is done by relaxing an optimal control…

In this paper we propose a model predictive control scheme for constrained fractional-order discrete-time systems. We prove that all constraints are satisfied at all time instants and we prescribe conditions for the origin to be an…

The robustness and accuracy of a vision system for motion estimation of a tumbling target satellite are enhanced by an adaptive Kalman filter. This allows a vision-guided robot to complete the grasping of the target even if occlusion occurs…

The problem of regulation of the orientation angle of a remotely controlled differential-drive mobile robot with actuator dynamics and network-induced delays is studied. Using a preinstalled two-layer nonlinear control scheme that decouples…

Reaching tasks with random targets and obstacles is a challenging task for robotic manipulators. In this study, we propose a novel model-free reinforcement learning approach based on proximal policy optimization (PPO) for training a deep…

Many robotic systems are underactuated, meaning not all degrees of freedom can be directly controlled due to lack of actuators, input constraints, or state-dependent actuation. This property, compounded by modeling uncertainties and…

Reliable real-time trajectory generation is essential for future autonomous spacecraft. While recent progress in nonconvex guidance and control is paving the way for onboard autonomous trajectory optimization, these methods still rely on…

Collision-free navigation in cluttered environments with static and dynamic obstacles is essential for many multi-robot tasks. Dynamic obstacles may also be interactive, i.e., their behavior varies based on the behavior of other entities.…

We synthesize shared control protocols subject to probabilistic temporal logic specifications. More specifically, we develop a framework in which a human and an autonomy protocol can issue commands to carry out a certain task. We blend…

This work presents an event-triggered controller for spacecraft rendezvous hovering phases. The goal is to maintain the chaser within a bounded region with respect to the target. The main assumption is that the chaser vehicle has impulsive…

Planning a time-optimal trajectory for aerial robots is critical in many drone applications, such as rescue missions and package delivery, which have been widely researched in recent years. However, it still involves several challenges,…

Spacecraft are vital to space exploration and are often equipped with lightweight, flexible appendages to meet strict weight constraints. These appendages pose significant challenges for modeling and control due to their inherent…

For many space applications, traditional control methods are often used during operation. However, as the number of space assets continues to grow, autonomous operation can enable rapid development of control methods for different space…

As near-Earth resident space objects proliferate, there is an increasing demand for reliable technologies in applications of on-orbit servicing, debris removal, and orbit modification. Rendezvous and docking are critical mission phases for…

This paper studies the attitude control of a satellite in three-axis by thrusters. The mathematical model of attitude dynamics and kinematics of the satellite is represented as a switched system with sub-systems. Each sub-system is defined…

In the pursuit of autonomous spacecraft proximity maneuvers and docking(PMD), we introduce a novel Bayesian actor-critic reinforcement learning algorithm to learn a control policy with the stability guarantee. The PMD task is formulated as…

In this paper we introduce the notion of optimization under control and communication constraint in a robotic network. Starting from a general setup, we focus our attention on the problem of achieving rendezvous in minimum time for a…