Taxonomy and Trends in Reinforcement Learning for Robotics and Control Systems: A Structured Review
This is an incremental review that consolidates existing knowledge to bridge theoretical advances with practical implementations in robotics and control systems.
This paper provides a structured review of reinforcement learning principles and deep reinforcement learning algorithms, categorizing their applications in robotics and control systems across domains like locomotion and manipulation, and synthesizes recent research trends and design patterns.
Reinforcement learning (RL) has become a foundational approach for enabling intelligent robotic behavior in dynamic and uncertain environments. This work presents an in-depth review of RL principles, advanced deep reinforcement learning (DRL) algorithms, and their integration into robotic and control systems. Beginning with the formalism of Markov Decision Processes (MDPs), the study outlines essential elements of the agent-environment interaction and explores core algorithmic strategies including actor-critic methods, value-based learning, and policy gradients. Emphasis is placed on modern DRL techniques such as DDPG, TD3, PPO, and SAC, which have shown promise in solving high-dimensional, continuous control tasks. A structured taxonomy is introduced to categorize RL applications across domains such as locomotion, manipulation, multi-agent coordination, and human-robot interaction, along with training methodologies and deployment readiness levels. The review synthesizes recent research efforts, highlighting technical trends, design patterns, and the growing maturity of RL in real-world robotics. Overall, this work aims to bridge theoretical advances with practical implementations, providing a consolidated perspective on the evolving role of RL in autonomous robotic systems.