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Approaching a tumbling target safely is a critical challenge in space debris removal missions utilizing robotic manipulators onboard servicing satellites. In this work, we propose a trajectory planning method based on nonlinear optimization…

Robotics · Computer Science 2025-12-29 Kenta Iizuka , Akiyoshi Uchida , Kentaro Uno , Kazuya Yoshida

Model Predictive Control lacks the ability to escape local minima in nonconvex problems. Furthermore, in fast-changing, uncertain environments, the conventional warmstart, using the optimal trajectory from the last timestep, often falls…

Systems and Control · Electrical Eng. & Systems 2023-10-05 Mohamed-Khalil Bouzidi , Yue Yao , Daniel Goehring , Joerg Reichardt

In this paper, the trajectory planning problem for autonomous rendezvous and docking between a controlled spacecraft and a tumbling target is addressed. The use of a variable planning horizon is proposed in order to construct an appropriate…

Systems and Control · Electrical Eng. & Systems 2024-09-11 Mirko Leomanni , Renato Quartullo , Gianni Bianchini , Andrea Garulli , Antonio Giannitrapani

This paper presents a hybrid approach that integrates trajectory optimization (TO) and reinforcement learning (RL) for motion planning and control of free-flying multi-arm robots in on-orbit servicing scenarios. The proposed system…

Reactive trajectory optimization for robotics presents formidable challenges, demanding the rapid generation of purposeful robot motion in complex and swiftly changing dynamic environments. While much existing research predominantly…

Robotics · Computer Science 2023-10-04 Apan Dastider , Hao Fang , Mingjie Lin

As the orbital environment around Earth becomes increasingly crowded with debris, active debris removal (ADR) missions face significant challenges in ensuring safe operations while minimizing the risk of in-orbit collisions. This study…

Artificial Intelligence · Computer Science 2026-02-06 Agni Bandyopadhyay , Gunther Waxenegger-Wilfing

This paper presents a trajectory optimization and control approach for the guidance of an orbital four-arm robot in extravehicular activities. The robot operates near the target spacecraft, enabling its arm's end-effectors to reach the…

We consider warm-started optimized trajectory planning for autonomous surface vehicles (ASVs) by combining the advantages of two types of planners: an A* implementation that quickly finds the shortest piecewise linear path, and an optimal…

Systems and Control · Electrical Eng. & Systems 2019-07-08 Glenn Bitar , Vegard N. Vestad , Anastasios M. Lekkas , Morten Breivik

In this work, we develop a numerically tractable trajectory optimization problem for rest-to-rest attitude transfers with CMG-driven spacecraft. First, we adapt a specialized dynamical model which avoids many of the numerical challenges…

Optimization and Control · Mathematics 2022-11-07 Thomas L. Dearing , John Hauser , Christopher Petersen , Marco M. Nicotra , Xudong Chen

This paper presents the development and evaluation of an optimization-based autonomous trajectory planning algorithm for the asteroid reconnaissance phase of a deep-space exploration mission. The reconnaissance phase is a low-altitude flyby…

Optimizing the trajectories of multiple quadrotors in a shared space is a core challenge in various applications. Many existing trajectory optimization methods enforce constraints only at the discretization points, leading to violations…

Optimization and Control · Mathematics 2025-08-21 Minsen Yuan , Yue Yu

Nonconvex trajectory optimization is at the core of designing trajectories for complex autonomous systems. A challenge for nonconvex trajectory optimization methods, such as sequential convex programming, is to find an effective…

Optimization and Control · Mathematics 2024-09-27 Minsen Yuan , Ryan J. Caverly , Yue Yu

Applying intelligent robot arms in dynamic uncertain environments (i.e., flexible production lines) remains challenging, which requires efficient algorithms for real time trajectory generation. The motion planning problem for robot…

Robotics · Computer Science 2020-08-11 Weiye Zhao , Suqin He , Chengtao Wen , Changliu Liu

This paper considers a trajectory planning problem for a robot navigating complex terrains, which arises in applications ranging from autonomous mining vehicles to planetary rovers. The problem seeks to find a low-cost dynamically feasible…

Robotics · Computer Science 2024-07-04 Yilin Cai , Zhongqiang Ren

This study presents a fast nonlinear programming algorithm for low-thrust multi-asteroid rendezvous missions. The core contribution is the derivation of analytical formulations for both first- and second-order gradients of low-thrust…

Instrumentation and Methods for Astrophysics · Physics 2026-04-22 An-Yi Huang , Ya-Zhong Luo

In this study, a single autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV) aims to rendezvous with a submerged leader recovery vehicle through a cluttered and variable operating field. The rendezvous problem is transformed into a nonlinear optimal control…

Robotics · Computer Science 2016-06-17 Somaiyeh Mahmoud Zadeh , Amir Mehdi Yazdani , Karl Sammut , David M. W Powers

Imitation learning holds tremendous promise in learning policies efficiently for complex decision making problems. Current state-of-the-art algorithms often use inverse reinforcement learning (IRL), where given a set of expert…

Robotics · Computer Science 2023-02-22 Siddhant Haldar , Vaibhav Mathur , Denis Yarats , Lerrel Pinto

A deep-space exploration mission with low-thrust propulsion to rendezvous with multiple asteroids is investigated. Indirect methods, based on the optimal control theory, are implemented to optimize the fuel consumption. The application of…

Instrumentation and Methods for Astrophysics · Physics 2016-03-09 Fanghua Jiang , Gao Tang

Due to the complexity and inconstancy of the space environment, accurate mathematical models for spacecraft rendezvous are difficult to obtain, which consequently complicates the control tasks. In this paper, a linearized time-variant plant…

Systems and Control · Computer Science 2016-01-05 Neng Wan , Weiran Yao

Optimization of low-thrust trajectories that involve a larger number of orbit revolutions is considered a challenging problem. This paper describes a high-precision symplectic method and optimization techniques to solve the minimum-energy…

Space Physics · Physics 2019-09-19 Zhibo E , Davide Guzzetti