Related papers: An Eikonal Approach for Globally Optimal Free Flig…
Controlling systems of ordinary differential equations (ODEs) is ubiquitous in science and engineering. For finding an optimal feedback controller, the value function and associated fundamental equations such as the Bellman equation and the…
How systems transit between different stable states under external perturbation is an important practical issue. We discuss here how a recently-developed energy optimization method for identifying the minimal disturbance necessary to reach…
Locating the global minimum of a complex potential energy surface is facilitated by considering a homotopy, namely a family of surfaces that interpolate continuously from an arbitrary initial potential to the system under consideration.…
Obstacle avoidance path planning for uncrewed aerial vehicles (UAVs), or drones, is rarely addressed in most flight path planning schemes, despite obstacles being a realistic condition. Obstacle avoidance can also be energy-intensive,…
This article proposes a modular optimal control framework for local three-dimensional ellipsoidal obstacle avoidance, exemplarily applied to model predictive path-following control. Static as well as moving obstacles are considered. Central…
A combined dynamics consisting of Brownian motion and L\'evy flights is exhibited by a variety of biological systems performing search processes. Assessing the search reliability of ever locating the target and the search efficiency of…
The autonomous operation of flexible-wing aircraft is technically challenging and has never been presented within literature. The lack of an exact modeling framework is due to the complex nonlinear aerodynamic relationships governed by the…
We consider the problem of optimal path planning in different homotopy classes in a given environment. Though important in robotics applications, path-planning with reasoning about homotopy classes of trajectories has typically focused on…
What is the most efficient search strategy for the random located target sites subject to the physical and biological constraints? Previous results suggested the L\'evy flight is the best option to characterize this optimal problem,…
Eikonal, or ray tracing, methods are commonly used to estimate the propagation of radio frequency fields in plasmas. While the information gained from the rays is quite useful, an approximate solution for the fields would also be valuable,…
This paper demonstrates a refined approach to solving dynamic optimization problems for underactuated marine surface vessels. To this end the differential flatness of a mathematical model assuming full actuation is exploited to derive an…
The algorithmic efficiency of Newton-based methods for Free Flight Trajectory Optimization is heavily influenced by the size of the domain of convergence. We provide numerical evidence that the convergence radius is much larger in practice…
Trajectory planning is crucial for the safe driving of autonomous vehicles in highway traffic flow. Currently, some advanced trajectory planning methods utilize spatio-temporal voxels to construct feasible regions and then convert…
Planning trajectories for automated vehicles in urban environments requires methods with high generality, long planning horizons, and fast update rates. Using a path-velocity decomposition, we contribute a novel planning framework, which…
The quantum navigation problem of finding the time-optimal control Hamiltonian that transports a given initial state to a target state through quantum wind, that is, under the influence of external fields or potentials, is analysed. By…
Unmapped areas and aerodynamic disturbances render autonomous navigation with quadrotors extremely challenging. To fly safely and efficiently, trajectory planners and trackers must be able to navigate unknown environments with unpredictable…
The rapid development of advanced urban air mobility, particularly electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) aircraft, requires interdisciplinary approaches involving the future urban air mobility ecosystem. Operational cost…
This paper addresses path planning of an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) with remote sensing capabilities (or wireless communication capabilities). The goal of the path planning is to find a minimum-flight-time closed tour of the UAV visiting…
We introduce a new and efficient numerical method for multicriterion optimal control and single criterion optimal control under integral constraints. The approach is based on extending the state space to include information on a "budget"…
Widespread development of driverless vehicles has led to the formation of autonomous racing, where technological development is accelerated by the high speeds and competitive environment of motorsport. A particular challenge for an…