Robust Deep Learning Control with Guaranteed Performance for Safe and Reliable Robotization in Heavy-Duty Machinery

TL;DR

This paper presents a robust control framework for electrified heavy-duty mobile machines that ensures safety and stability while integrating AI, supporting the transition from traditional to autonomous, electric-powered heavy machinery.

Contribution

It introduces a modular, energy-source independent control approach with hierarchical policies that guarantee safety and stability, facilitating electrification and autonomy in heavy-duty machinery.

Findings

Validated in three case studies with different actuators

Achieved strong stability across multiple actuation types

Supported safe integration of AI with guaranteed performance

Abstract

Today's heavy-duty mobile machines (HDMMs) face two transitions: from diesel-hydraulic actuation to clean electric systems driven by climate goals, and from human supervision toward greater autonomy. Diesel-hydraulic systems have long dominated, so full electrification, via direct replacement or redesign, raises major technical and economic challenges. Although advanced artificial intelligence (AI) could enable higher autonomy, adoption in HDMMs is limited by strict safety requirements, and these machines still rely heavily on human supervision. This dissertation develops a control framework that (1) simplifies control design for electrified HDMMs through a generic modular approach that is energy-source independent and supports future modifications, and (2) defines hierarchical control policies that partially integrate AI while guaranteeing safety-defined performance and stability. Five research questions align with three lines of investigation: a generic robust control strategy for multi-body HDMMs with strong stability across actuation types and energy sources; control solutions that keep strict performance under uncertainty and faults while balancing robustness and responsiveness; and methods to interpret and trust black-box learning strategies so they can be integrated stably and verified against international safety standards. The framework is validated in three case studies spanning different actuators and conditions, covering heavy-duty mobile robots and robotic manipulators. Results appear in five peer-reviewed publications and one unpublished manuscript, advancing nonlinear control and robotics and supporting both transitions.