Set-Based Intent-Expressive Trajectory Planning and Intent Estimation

Abstract

This letter proposes a novel approach to intent-expressive motion planning and intent estimation for agents/robots with uncertain discrete-time affine dynamics. In contrast to the more commonly considered stochastic settings, our intent-expressive trajectory planning approach is set-based and leverages the active model discrimination framework for designing optimal inputs to attain certain target/goal states, while allowing an observer/teammate to clearly infer the intended goal based only on observations of a partial trajectory before it has reached its target/goal state, despite worst-case uncertainties. Further, in tandem with the planning algorithm, we also propose an intent estimation algorithm that can be used by the observer/teammate to determine the intended goal from observations of a noisy, partial trajectory.