Related papers: Learning to Dock: A Simulation-based Study on Clos…
Deep Reinforcement Learning (DRL) offers a robust alternative to traditional control methods for autonomous underwater docking, particularly in adapting to unpredictable environmental conditions. However, bridging the "sim-to-real" gap and…
Underwater docking is critical to enable the persistent operation of Autonomous Underwater Vehicles (AUVs). For this, the AUV must be capable of detecting and localizing the docking station, which is complex due to the highly dynamic…
Learning-based adaptive control methods hold the premise of enabling autonomous agents to reduce the effect of process variations with minimal human intervention. However, its application to autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs) has so far…
Docking control of an autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV) is a task that is integral to achieving persistent long term autonomy. This work explores the application of state-of-the-art model-free deep reinforcement learning (DRL) approaches…
Sim-to-real gap has long posed a significant challenge for robot learning in simulation, preventing the deployment of learned models in the real world. Previous work has primarily focused on domain randomization and system identification to…
Despite the increasing adoption of Deep Reinforcement Learning (DRL) for Autonomous Surface Vehicles (ASVs), there still remain challenges limiting real-world deployment. In this paper, we first integrate buoyancy and hydrodynamics models…
Controlling AUVs can be challenging because of the effect of complex non-linear hydrodynamic forces acting on the robot, which are significant in water and cannot be ignored. The problem is exacerbated for small AUVs for which the dynamics…
Autonomous navigation in congested maritime environments is a critical capability for a wide range of real-world applications. However, it remains an unresolved challenge due to complex vessel interactions and significant environmental…
Reliable autonomous navigation across the unstructured terrains of distant planetary surfaces is a critical enabler for future space exploration. However, the deployment of learning-based controllers is hindered by the inherent sim-to-real…
In the context of autonomous navigation of terrestrial robots, the creation of realistic models for agent dynamics and sensing is a widespread habit in the robotics literature and in commercial applications, where they are used for model…
Recently, reinforcement learning (RL) has been extensively studied and achieved promising results in a wide range of control tasks. Meanwhile, autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV) is an important tool for executing complex and challenging…
Robotic systems driven by artificial muscles present unique challenges due to the nonlinear dynamics of actuators and the complex designs of mechanical structures. Traditional model-based controllers often struggle to achieve desired…
Deep reinforcement learning models are notoriously data hungry, yet real-world data is expensive and time consuming to obtain. The solution that many have turned to is to use simulation for training before deploying the robot in a real…
This paper proposes a novel Reinforcement Learning (RL) approach for sim-to-real policy transfer of Vertical Take-Off and Landing Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (VTOL-UAV). The proposed approach is designed for VTOL-UAV landing on offshore docking…
This paper presents an approach for autonomous docking of a fully actuated autonomous surface vessel using expert demonstration data. We frame the docking problem as an imitation learning task and employ inverse reinforcement learning (IRL)…
How to explore corner cases as efficiently and thoroughly as possible has long been one of the top concerns in the context of deep reinforcement learning (DeepRL) autonomous driving. Training with simulated data is less costly and dangerous…
Safety and cost are two important concerns for the development of autonomous driving technologies. From the academic research to commercial applications of autonomous driving vehicles, sufficient simulation and real world testing are…
If we want to train robots in simulation before deploying them in reality, it seems natural and almost self-evident to presume that reducing the sim2real gap involves creating simulators of increasing fidelity (since reality is what it is).…
In this paper, we consider depth control problems of an autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV) for tracking the desired depth trajectories. Due to the unknown dynamical model of the AUV, the problems cannot be solved by most of model-based…
Autonomous surface vessels for floating-waste removal operate under varying hydrodynamics, external disturbances, and challenging water-surface perception. We present a field-validated system that combines camera-based polarimetric…