Model Parameter Identification via a Hyperparameter Optimization Scheme for Autonomous Racing Systems

In this letter, we propose a model parameter identification method via a hyperparameter optimization scheme (MIHO). Our method adopts an efficient explore-exploit strategy to identify the parameters of dynamic models in a data-driven optimization manner. We utilize MIHO for model parameter identification of the AV-21, a full-scaled autonomous race vehicle. We then incorporate the optimized parameters for the design of model-based planning and control systems of our platform. In experiments, MIHO exhibits more than 13 times faster convergence than traditional parameter identification methods. Furthermore, the parametric models learned via MIHO demonstrate good fitness to the given datasets and show generalization ability in unseen dynamic scenarios. We further conduct extensive field tests to validate our model-based system, demonstrating stable obstacle avoidance and high-speed driving up to 217 km/h at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway and Las Vegas Motor Speedway. The source code for MIHO and videos of the tests are available at https://github.com/hynkis/MIHO.