WayEx: Waypoint Exploration using a Single Demonstration

Abstract

We propose WayEx, a new method for learning complex goal-conditioned robotics tasks from a single demonstration. Our approach distinguishes itself from existing imitation learning methods by demanding fewer expert examples and eliminating the need for information about the actions taken during the demonstration. This is accomplished by introducing a new reward function and employing a knowledge expansion technique. We demonstrate the effectiveness of WayEx, our waypoint exploration strategy, across six diverse tasks, showcasing its applicability in various environments. Notably, our method significantly reduces training time by ∼50% as compared to traditional reinforcement learning methods. WayEx obtains a higher reward than existing imitation learning methods given only a single demonstration. Furthermore, we demonstrate its success in tackling complex environments where standard approaches fall short. Appendix is available at: https://waypoint-ex.github.io.