Inverse Dynamics

Behavior cloning (BC) is a practical offline imitation learning method, but it often fails when expert demonstrations are limited. Recent works have introduced a class of architectures named predictive inverse dynamics models (PIDMs) that combine a future-state predictor with an inverse dynamics model. While PIDMs often outperform BC, the reasons behind their benefits remain unclear. In this paper, we provide a theoretical explanation: PIDMs introduce a tradeoff. Conditioning the IDM on the predicted future state can significantly reduce variance, but the prediction itself introduces additional bias and variance. We establish conditions for PIDMs to achieve higher sample efficiency and lower prediction error than BC, with the gap widening when additional data sources are available. We validate the theoretical insights empirically in 2D navigation tasks, where BC requires up to five times (three times on average) more demonstrations than PIDM to reach comparable performance. Results are also illustrated in a complex 3D environment in a modern video game with high-dimensional visual inputs and stochastic transitions, where BC requires over 66% more samples than PIDM.

Likelihood-free inference (LFI) enables system identification in complex tasks via black-box modelling, abstracting nonlinearity and stochasticity, and infers a domain distribution for adapting agents to parametric deployment conditions. LFI assumes an arbitrary support for sampling, which remains fixed as the initial generic prior is refined to increasingly descriptive posteriors. Misspecified support can therefore yield suboptimal yet overconfident posteriors. We address this issue by using the posterior of an inference step to guide the adaptation of the support using three illustrative heuristics: EDGE, MODE, and CENTRE. Each heuristic interprets the updated belief and enables support adaptation alongside posterior inference. For illustrative purposes, we first study misspecified support in LFI and evaluate the utility of our heuristics using stochastic dynamical benchmarks. We then evaluate posterior-driven heuristic support adaptation for parameter inference and policy learning in a dynamic deformable linear object (DLO) manipulation task. Inference results in a finer length and stiffness classification for a parametric set of DLOs. When the resulting posteriors are used as domain distributions for sim-based policy learning, they lead to more robust object-centric agent performance.

The pretraining-finetuning paradigm has facilitated numerous transformative advancements in artificial intelligence research in recent years. However, in the domain of reinforcement learning (RL) for robot locomotion, individual skills are often learned from scratch despite the high likelihood that some generalizable knowledge is shared across all task-specific policies belonging to the same robot embodiment. This work aims to define a paradigm for pretraining neural network models that encapsulate such knowledge and can subsequently serve as a basis for warm-starting the RL process in classic actor-critic algorithms, such as Proximal Policy Optimization (PPO). We begin with a task-agnostic exploration-based data collection algorithm to gather diverse, dynamic transition data, which is then used to train a Proprioceptive Inverse Dynamics Model (PIDM) through supervised learning. The pretrained weights are then loaded into both the actor and critic networks to warm-start the policy optimization of actual tasks. We systematically validated our proposed method with 9 distinct robot locomotion RL environments comprising 3 different robot embodiments, showing significant benefits of this initialization strategy. Our proposed approach on average improves sample efficiency by 36.2% and task performance by 4.3% compared to random initialization. We further present key ablation studies and empirical analyses that shed light on the mechanisms behind the effectiveness of this method.

Data-driven planar pushing methods have recently gained attention as they reduce manual engineering effort and improve generalization compared to analytical approaches. However, most prior work targets narrow capabilities (e.g., side switching, precision, or single-task training), limiting broader applicability. We present a model-based framework for non-prehensile tabletop pushing that uses a single learned model to address multiple tasks without retraining. Our approach employs a recurrent GRU-based architecture with additional non-linear layers to capture object-environment dynamics while ensuring stability. A tailored state-action representation enables the model to generalize across uncertain dynamics, variable push lengths, and diverse tasks. For control, we integrate the learned dynamics with a sampling-based Model Predictive Path Integral (MPPI) controller, which generates adaptive, task-oriented actions. This framework supports side switching, variable-length pushes, and objectives such as precise positioning, trajectory following, and obstacle avoidance. Training is performed in simulation with domain randomization to support sim-to-real transfer. We first evaluate the architecture through ablation studies, showing improved prediction accuracy and stable rollouts. We then validate the full system in simulation and real-world experiments using a Franka Panda robot with markerless tracking. Results demonstrate high success rates in precise positioning under strict thresholds and strong performance in trajectory tracking and obstacle avoidance. Moreover, multiple tasks are solved simply by changing the controller's objective function, without retraining. While our current focus is on a single object type, we extend the framework by training on wider push lengths and designing a balanced controller that reduces the number of steps for longer-horizon goals.

Accurate estimation of lateral vehicle dynamics near the adhesion limit is important for stability control and high-performance driving, but lateral velocity is rarely measured directly because sensors such as optical sensors are costly. This paper presents an inertial measurement unit (IMU)-centric Moving Horizon Estimation framework that reconstructs lateral velocity using standard onboard signals, without relying on exteroceptive odometry or detailed tire-parameter tuning. Experimental validation on human-driven sports cars and an autonomous open-wheel race car across tracks, maneuvers, and conditions demonstrates accurate and robust lateral velocity and lateral acceleration estimates. The proposed framework is available at https://github.com/Aseuffo/IMU-Centric-MHE