Evaluation of optimisation techniques on the performance of an on-line MPC controller in an occupancy grid for autonomous mobile robots

Abstract

Computational capabilities on embedded platforms, especially for autonomous mobile robotics, enable them to be used for more challenging tasks, e.g., to apply advanced control methods like an on-line MPC controller on the robot itself. In the last decades, many improvements in direct methods to solve the optimal control problem were proposed, which speed up the optimisation process. We apply the multiple shooting approach to solve the Optimal Control Problem in a parallel manner. We apply the on-line MPC scheme with the multiple shooting approach in simulations, assess them in a hardware-in-the-loop scenario and conduct experiments on a Raspberry Pi 4-based differential-drive-platform to assess the realtime capability to control the robot while the optimisation is carried out locally.