Contraction ℒ1-Adaptive Control using Gaussian Processes.

We present a control framework that enables safe simultaneous learning and control for systems subject to uncertainties. The two main constituents are contraction theory-based L1-adaptive (CL1) control and Bayesian learning in the form of Gaussian process (GP) regression. The CL1 controller ensures that control objectives are met while providing safety certificates. Furthermore, the controller incorporates any available data into GP models of uncertainties, which improves performance and enables the motion planner to achieve optimality safely. This way, the safe operation of the system is always guaranteed, even during the learning transients.