Deep Neural Network-based Approximation of Nonlinear Model Predictive Control: Applications to Truck-trailer Control System

In this work, we demonstrate the efficiency of approximating nonlinear model predictive control (NMPC) using deep neural networks (DNN). We design an implicit NMPC for forward and backward motions of the truck trailer (TT) to handle complexity of nonlinear system dynamics. However, the high computational load of implicit MPC poses challenges for real-time implementation. To address this issue, we employ a DNN-based NMPC approximation to estimate parametric functions. As a result, the DNN-based NMPC approximation can mimic the optimal control policy of implicit MPC. Additionally, the average computation times for implicit NMPC and the DNN-based NMPC approximation in hardware-in-the-loop (HIL) tests are 36.541 ms and 0.031 ms, respectively.