Nonlinear Model Learning for Compensation and Feedforward Control of Real-World Hydraulic Actuators Using Gaussian Processes

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This paper presents a robust machine learning framework for modeling and control of hydraulic actuators. We identify several important challenges concerning learning accurate models of the dynamics for real machines, including noise and uncertainty in state measurements, nonlinear effects, input delays, and data-efficiency. In particular, we propose a dual-Gaussian process (GP) model architecture to learn a surrogate dynamics model of the actuator, and showcase the accuracy of predictions against the piecewise and neural network models that have been widely used in the literature. In addition, we provide robust techniques for learning neural network inverse models and controllers by batch GP inference in an automated, seamless and computationally fast manner. Finally, we demonstrate the performance of the trained controllers in real-world feedforward and tracking control applications.