Meta-Learning Online Dynamics Model Adaptation in Off-Road Autonomous Driving

High-speed off-road autonomous driving presents unique challenges due to complex, evolving terrain characteristics and the difficulty of accurately modeling terrain-vehicle interactions. While dynamics models used in model-based control can be learned from real-world data, they often struggle to generalize to unseen terrain, making real-time adaptation essential. We propose a novel framework that combines a Kalman filter-based online adaptation scheme with meta-learned parameters to address these challenges. Offline meta-learning optimizes the basis functions along which adaptation occurs, as well as the adaptation parameters, while online adaptation dynamically adjusts the onboard dynamics model in real time for model-based control. We validate our approach through extensive experiments, including real-world testing on a full-scale autonomous off-road vehicle, demonstrating that our method outperforms baseline approaches in prediction accuracy, performance, and safety metrics, particularly in safety-critical scenarios. Our results underscore the effectiveness of meta-learned dynamics model adaptation, advancing the development of reliable autonomous systems capable of navigating diverse and unseen environments. Video is available at: https://youtu.be/cCKHHrDRQEA

Dynamics Modeling using Visual Terrain Features for High-Speed Autonomous Off-Road Driving

Rapid autonomous traversal of unstructured terrain is essential for scenarios such as disaster response, search and rescue, or planetary exploration. As a vehicle navigates at the limit of its capabilities over extreme terrain, its dynamics can change suddenly and dramatically. For example, high-speed and varying terrain can affect parameters such as traction, tire slip, and rolling resistance. To achieve effective planning in such environments, it is crucial to have a dynamics model that can accurately anticipate these conditions. In this work, we present a hybrid model that predicts the changing dynamics induced by the terrain as a function of visual inputs. We leverage a pre-trained visual foundation model (VFM) DINOv2, which provides rich features that encode fine-grained semantic information. To use this dynamics model for planning, we propose an end-to-end training architecture for a projection distance independent feature encoder that compresses the information from the VFM, enabling the creation of a lightweight map of the environment at runtime. We validate our architecture on an extensive dataset (hundreds of kilometers of aggressive off-road driving) collected across multiple locations as part of the DARPA Robotic Autonomy in Complex Environments with Resiliency (RACER) program. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dycTXxEosMk

Learning and Autonomy for Extraterrestrial Terrain Sampling: An Experience Report from OWLAT Deployment

Extraterrestrial autonomous lander missions increasingly demand adaptive capabilities to handle the unpredictable and diverse nature of the terrain. This paper discusses the deployment of a Deep Meta-Learning with Controlled Deployment Gaps (CoDeGa) trained model for terrain scooping tasks in Ocean Worlds Lander Autonomy Testbed (OWLAT) at NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory. The CoDeGa-powered scooping strategy is designed to adapt to novel terrains, selecting scooping actions based on the available RGB-D image data and limited experience. The paper presents our experiences with transferring the scooping framework with CoDeGa-trained model from a low-fidelity testbed to the high-fidelity OWLAT testbed. Additionally, it validates the method's performance in novel, realistic environments, and shares the lessons learned from deploying learning-based autonomy algorithms for space exploration. Experimental results from OWLAT substantiate the efficacy of CoDeGa in rapidly adapting to unfamiliar terrains and effectively making autonomous decisions under considerable domain shifts, thereby endorsing its potential utility in future extraterrestrial missions.