Soft-Minimum Barrier Functions for Safety-Critical Control Subject to Actuation Constraints

Abstract: This paper presents a new control approach for guaranteed safety (remaining in a safe set) subject to actuator constraints (the control is in a convex polytope). The control signals are computed using real-time optimization, including linear and quadratic programs subject to affine constraints, which are shown to be feasible. The control method relies on a new soft-minimum barrier function that is constructed using a finite-time-horizon prediction of the system trajectories under a known backup control. The main result shows that: (i) the control is continuous and satisfies the actuator constraints, and (ii) a subset of the safe set is forward invariant under the control. We also demonstrate this control on numerical simulations of an inverted pendulum and a double-integrator ground robot.