Sampling-Based Control via Entropy-Regularized Optimal Transport

Abstract

Sampling-based model predictive control methods like MPPI and CEM are essential for real-time control of nonlinear robotic systems, particularly where discontinuous dynamics preclude gradient-based optimization. However, these methods derive from information-theoretic objectives that are agnostic to the geometry of the control problem, leading to pathological behaviors such as mode-averaging when the cost landscape is complex. We present OT-MPC, a sampling-based algorithm that overcomes these limitations through an entropy-regularized optimal transport formulation. By computing an optimal coupling between candidate control sequences and low-cost proposals, OT-MPC refines candidates toward nearby promising samples while coordinating updates across the ensemble to maintain coverage of the solution space. We derive closed-form, gradient-free updates via the Sinkhorn algorithm, enabling real-time performance. Experiments on navigation, manipulation, and locomotion tasks demonstrate improved success rates over existing methods.