Iterative MILP methods for vehicle-control problems

Abstract

Mixed-integer linear programming (MILP) is a powerful tool for planning and control problems because of its modeling capability and the availability of good solvers. However, for large models, MILP methods suffer computationally. In this paper, we present iterative MILP algorithms that address this issue. We consider trajectory-generation problems with obstacle-avoidance requirements and minimum-time trajectory-generation problems. These problems involve vehicles that are described by mixed logical dynamical equations, a form of hybrid system. The algorithms use fewer binary variables than standard MILP methods, and require less computational effort.