One key underlying factor to the safety concern stems from uncertainties in both internal system models and external environments. [These uncertainties become critical in contingency scenarios, where potential risks cannot be predicted with certainty](https://iscicra25.github.io/papers/2025-Zheng-5_Towards_Real_time_Safe_Optim.pdf).
This research seamlessly integrates discrete decision-making maneuvers with continuous trajectory variables for safety-critical autonomous driving. The algorithm operates in real-time, optimizing trajectories of autonomous vehicles to ensure safety, stability, and proactive interaction with uncertain human-driven vehicles across various driving tasks, utilizing over-relaxed ADMM iterations. We provide a comprehensive theoretical analysis of safety and computational efficiency.
This research proposes a computationally-efficient spatiotemporal receding horizon control (ST-RHC) scheme to generate a safe, dynamically feasible, energy-efficient trajectory in control space, where different driving tasks in dense traffic can be achieved with high accuracy and safety in real time. The effectiveness of the proposed ST-RHC scheme is demonstrated through comprehensive comparisons with state-of-the-art algorithms on synthetic and real-world traffic datasets under dense traffic.
Present a real-time fail-operational controller for autonomous driving in the presence of time-varying environmental disturbances. This controller is designed to guide autonomous vehicles back to a predefined safe state asymptotically, while upholding task efficiency.
Present an integrated decision and trajectory planning approach for the autonomous vehicles to achieve high travel efficiency in dynamic and congested environments.
Present a real-time parallel trajectory optimization method for the autonomous vehicles to achieve high travel efficiency in dynamic and congested environments.
We propose a learning-based tracking control scheme based on a feedback linearization controller in which uncertain disturbances are approximated online using Gaussian Processes. Using the predicted distribution of disturbances given by GPs, a Control Lyapunov Function and Control Barrier Function based Quadratic Program is applied, with which probabilistic stability and safety are guaranteed.
A safe and learning-based control framework for model predictive control is proposed to optimize nonlinear systems with a non-differentiable objective function under uncertain environmental disturbances. The control framework integrates a learning-based MPC with an auxiliary controller in a way of minimal intervention. The proposed approach provides a promising solution to the propagation of stochastic state distributions in MPC, allowing for improved task performance while ensuring high levels of safety.