Control from Signal Temporal Logic Specifications with Smooth Cumulative Quantitative Semantics

Abstract: We present a framework to synthesize control policies for nonlinear dynamical systems from complex temporal constraints specified in a rich temporal logic called Signal Temporal Logic (STL). We propose a novel smooth and differentiable STL quantitative semantics called cumulative robustness, and efficiently compute control policies through a series of smooth optimization problems that are solved using gradient ascent algorithms. Furthermore, we demonstrate how these techniques can be incorporated in a model predictive control framework in order to synthesize control policies over long time horizons. The advantages of combining the cumulative robustness function with smooth optimization methods as well as model predictive control are illustrated in case studies.