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Efficient Domain-Adaptive Policy Learning via Kernel Representation with Application to Quadrotor Control under Non-Stationary Disturbances

Summary

This paper proposes an algorithm for efficient domain-adaptive policy learning using kernel representations. It models unknown disturbances with a differentiable random Fourier features kernel approximation. Offline training takes only 50 seconds on an RTX 4090 to optimize the policy via differentiable simulation. During deployment, the policy adapts in real-time by updating kernel parameters through online least-squares estimation. Experiments on Crazyflie quadrotors under various disturbances (wind, ground effects, payload shifts) validate the approach.

SourcearXiv RoboticsAuthor: Hongyu Zhou, Mingtian Tan, Vasileios Tzoumas
Efficient Domain-Adaptive Policy Learning via Kernel Representation with Application to Quadrotor Control under Non-Stationary Disturbances
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[2606.13842] Efficient Domain-Adaptive Policy Learning via Kernel Representation with Application to Quadrotor Control under Non-Stationary Disturbances

[Submitted on 11 Jun 2026]

Title:Efficient Domain-Adaptive Policy Learning via Kernel Representation with Application to Quadrotor Control under Non-Stationary Disturbances

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Abstract:We present an algorithm for efficient domain-adaptive policy learning via kernel representations. Learning domain-adaptive policies is challenging since it requires an environment representation that is both sufficiently expressive to model complex sim-to-real gaps during offline training, and computationally efficient enough to support rapid online adaptation during deployment. For instance, a quadrotor may encounter time-varying, non-stationary disturbances, such as sudden gusts of wind, payload shifts, or transitions between distinct flight regimes with and without ground effects. To address these challenges, we model unknown disturbances using a differentiable kernel approximation based on random Fourier features. During the offline training phase, we randomly sample kernel coefficients and bandwidth parameters to generate a rich diversity of disturbance profiles. We then optimize the control policy via differentiable simulation with analytical gradients, a process that takes only 50 seconds of training time on an RTX 4090 GPU. During hardware deployment, the policy adapts to non-stationary environments in real time by updating both the kernel coefficients and bandwidth through online least-squares estimation. We evaluate our method on quadrotor trajectory tracking tasks across high-fidelity numerical simulations and hardware experiments using Crazyflie, subjected to various disturbances, including complex aerodynamic effects, wind, ground effects, and payload fluctuations.

Subjects:

Robotics (cs.RO)

Cite as: arXiv:2606.13842 [cs.RO]

(or arXiv:2606.13842v1 [cs.RO] for this version)

https://doi.org/10.48550/arXiv.2606.13842

arXiv-issued DOI via DataCite (pending registration)

Submission history

From: Hongyu Zhou [view email] [v1] Thu, 11 Jun 2026 19:16:02 UTC (17,479 KB)

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Key points and analysis

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Key points

  • Uses random Fourier features for differentiable kernel approximation of disturbances.
  • Offline training optimized via differentiable simulation in just 50 seconds on RTX 4090.
  • Online adaptation via least-squares estimation of kernel coefficients and bandwidth.
  • Validated on Crazyflie quadrotors in simulations and hardware with complex disturbances.

Highlights and analysis are generated automatically and may contain errors. Check the original source.