  Deep reinforcement learning (RL) uses model-free techniques to optimize
task-specific control policies. Despite having emerged as a promising approach
for complex problems, RL is still hard to use reliably for real-world
applications. Apart from challenges such as precise reward function tuning,
inaccurate sensing and actuation, and non-deterministic response, existing RL
methods do not guarantee behavior within required safety constraints that are
crucial for real robot scenarios. In this regard, we introduce guided
constrained policy optimization (GCPO), an RL framework based upon our
implementation of constrained proximal policy optimization (CPPO) for tracking
base velocity commands while following the defined constraints. We also
introduce schemes which encourage state recovery into constrained regions in
case of constraint violations. We present experimental results of our training
method and test it on the real ANYmal quadruped robot. We compare our approach
against the unconstrained RL method and show that guided constrained RL offers
faster convergence close to the desired optimum resulting in an optimal, yet
physically feasible, robotic control behavior without the need for precise
reward function tuning.

Robotics;Machine Learning;Systems and Control;Systems and Control