Approximation-Free Control Barrier Functions for Prescribed-Time Reach-Avoid of Unknown Systems
Year: 2025
Type: preprint
Abstract: We study the prescribed-time reach-avoid (PT-RA) control problem for nonlinear systems with unknown dynamics operating in environments with moving obstacles. Unlike robust or learning based Control Barrier Function (CBF) methods, the proposed framework requires neither online model learning nor uncertainty bound estimation. A CBF-based Quadratic Program (CBF-QP) is solved on a simple virtual system to generate a safe reference satisfying PT-RA conditions with respect to time-varying, tightened obstacle and goal sets. The true system is confined to a Virtual Confinement Zone (VCZ) around this reference using an approximation-free feedback law. This construction guarantees real-time safety and prescribed-time target reachability under unknown dynamics and dynamic constraints without explicit model identification or offline precomputation. Simulation results illustrate reliable dynamic obstacle avoidance and timely convergence to the target set.
Source: arXiv (Cornell University)
Authors: Sawarkar, Shubham, Jagtap, Pushpak
Institution: Indian Institute of Science Bangalore
Subfield: Control and Systems Engineering
Field: Engineering
Domain: Physical Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W7108219055
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