Learning for Precision Motion of an Interventional X-ray System: Add-on Physics-Guided Neural Network Feedforward Control

Tracking performance of physical-model-based feedforward control for interventional X-ray systems is limited by hard-to-model parasitic nonlinear dynamics, such as cable forces and nonlinear friction. In this paper, these nonlinear dynamics are compensated using a physics-guided neural network (PGNN), consisting of a physical model, embedding prior knowledge of the dynamics, in parallel with a neural network to learn hard-to-model dynamics. To ensure that the neural network learns only unmodelled effects, the neural network output in the subspace spanned by the physical model is regularized via an orthogonal projection-based approach, resulting in complementary physical model and neural network contributions. The PGNN feedforward controller reduces the tracking error of an interventional X-ray system by a factor of 5 compared to an optimally tuned physical model, successfully compensating the unmodeled parasitic dynamics.