Proprioceptive feedback paradigm for safe and resilient motion control

Abstract

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 offers 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.