Robust Sensitivity-Aware Chance-Constrained MPC for Efficient Handling of Multiple Uncertainty Sources

Abstract

Robust motion planning under uncertainty is critical for unlocking real-world robotics applications. This paper introduces SupeR-MPC, a computationally-efficient, sensitivity-aware, chance-constrained optimization framework that systematically accounts for multiple sources of uncertainty, including state estimation error, model parameter uncertainty, obstacle localization error, and process noise. This approach advances sensitivity-aware robust control by integrating chance-constrained optimization to handle the uncertainty models of Kalman-filtering methods. To demonstrate robustness against multiple uncertainty sources, SupeR-MPC was validated on a range of systems and environments, from a simple 2D example to a multi-agent dynamic obstacle avoidance scenario. Comparisons against existing MPC methods show that SupeR-MPC significantly improves constraint satisfaction and robustness while maintaining real-time computational efficiency. These results highlight the effectiveness of sensitivity-aware chance constraints in enhancing real-world robotic decision-making under uncertainty.