Proprioceptive feedback paradigm for safe and resilient motion control
For designers of motion control systems, this work provides a new feedback paradigm to enhance safety and resilience against actuator or agent failures.
The paper introduces a proprioception-like feedback mechanism (MPF) for motion control systems that compensates for unexpected actuator or agent failures through fast feedback loops. Simulations of multi-vehicle lane-swap traffic confirm that MPF improves safety and resilience.
Proprioception is a human sense that provides feedback from muscles and joints about body position and motion. This key capability keeps us upright, moving, and responding quickly to slips or stumbles. In this paper we discuss a proprioception-like feature (machine proprioceptive feedback - MPF) for motion control systems. An unexpected response of one actuator, or one agent in a multi-agent system, is compensated by other actuators/agents through fast feedback loops that react only to the unexpected portion. The paper appropriates the predictor-corrector mechanism of decentralized, multi-agent controllers as "proprioceptive feedback" for centrally controlled ones. It analyzes a nature and degree of impairment that can be managed and offer two options, full- MPF and split-MPF, with different wiring architectures as well as different stability and safety properties. Multi-vehicle interchange lane-swap traffic simulations confirm the analytical results.