mlsanityData to 7 Oct 2026

Diffusion Predictive Control with Constraints

arXiv 2412.09342 ↗First posted 12 Dec 2024cs.RO cs.LG cs.SYcited by 32

On the map: Diffusion models → Diffusion and flow policies for robotics

Abstract (arXiv)

Diffusion models have become popular for policy learning in robotics due to their ability to capture high-dimensional and multimodal distributions. However, diffusion policies are stochastic and typically trained offline, limiting their ability to handle unseen and dynamic conditions where novel constraints not represented in the training data must be satisfied. To overcome this limitation, we propose diffusion predictive control with constraints (DPCC), an algorithm for diffusion-based control with explicit state and action constraints that can deviate from those in the training data. DPCC incorporates model-based projections into the denoising process of a trained trajectory diffusion model and uses constraint tightening to account for model mismatch. This allows us to generate constraint-satisfying, dynamically feasible, and goal-reaching trajectories for predictive control. We show through simulations of a robot manipulator that DPCC outperforms existing methods in satisfying novel test-time constraints while maintaining performance on the learned control task.

Key facts. Cited by 32 papers in the map (data through 7 Oct 2026). Placed in Diffusion and flow policies for robotics, one of 14 directions in Diffusion models. Builds on 21 of its 30 references that are in the map. First posted on arXiv 12 Dec 2024.

Builds on

21 of 30 references.

Closest ancestors · 8

Same direction, newest first

  1. 2024Diffusion Model Predictive Control7 Oct
  2. 2024CGD: Constraint-Guided Diffusion Policies for UAV Trajectory Planning2 May
  3. 2023PlayFusion: Skill Acquisition via Diffusion from Language-Annotated Play7 Dec
  4. 2023Motion Planning Diffusion: Learning and Planning of Robot Motions with Diffusion Models3 Aug
  5. 2023Goal-Conditioned Imitation Learning using Score-based Diffusion Policies5 Apr
  6. 2023Diffusion Policy: Visuomotor Policy Learning via Action Diffusion7 Mar
  7. 2023Imitating Human Behaviour with Diffusion Models25 Jan
  8. 2022Is Conditional Generative Modeling all you need for Decision-Making?28 Nov

Other references · 13

  1. 2020Denoising Diffusion Probabilistic Modelscited by 20,851
  2. 2021Diffusion Models Beat GANs on Image Synthesiscited by 8,185
  3. 2015Deep Unsupervised Learning using Nonequilibrium Thermodynamicscited by 7,005
  4. 2022Classifier-Free Diffusion Guidancecited by 5,717
  5. 2021Improved Denoising Diffusion Probabilistic Modelscited by 3,736
  6. 2022Planning with Diffusion for Flexible Behavior Synthesiscited by 1,023
  7. 2024Physics-Informed Diffusion Modelscited by 88
  8. 2024Constrained Synthesis with Projected Diffusion Modelscited by 83
  9. 2022Diffusion Models Beat GANs on Topology Optimizationcited by 79
  10. 2023Aligning Optimization Trajectories with Diffusion Models for Constrained Design Generationcited by 51
  11. 2024Towards Diverse Behaviors: A Benchmark for Imitation Learning with Human Demonstrationscited by 51
  12. 2024DiffuseLoco: Real-Time Legged Locomotion Control with Diffusion from Offline Datasetscited by 47
1 more
  1. 2024Deep Generative Models in Robotics: A Survey on Learning from Multimodal Demonstrationscited by 35

Built on by

Cited by year (2026 to 7 Oct)

Citing papers per year: 2025: 17; 2026: 15.

32 papers.

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By area:

  1. 2025Diffusion Models for Robotic Manipulation: A Surveycited by 39
  2. 2025Diffuse-CLoC: Guided Diffusion for Physics-based Character Look-ahead Controlcited by 27
  3. 2025DDAT: Diffusion Policies Enforcing Dynamically Admissible Robot Trajectoriescited by 14
  4. 2025HardFlow: Hard-Constrained Sampling for Flow-Matching Models via Trajectory Optimizationcited by 10
  5. 2025Constraint-Aware Diffusion Guidance for Robotics: Real-Time Obstacle Avoidance for Autonomous Racingcited by 9
  6. 2025Projected Coupled Diffusion for Test-Time Constrained Joint Generationcited by 6
  7. 2025Dynamics-aware Diffusion Models for Planning and Controlcited by 4
  8. 2025UniConFlow: A Unified Constrained Flow-Matching Framework for Certified Motion Planningcited by 4
  9. 2025From Demonstrations to Safe Deployment: Path-Consistent Safety Filtering for Diffusion Policiescited by 4
  10. 2025Pick-and-place Manipulation Across Grippers Without Retraining: A Learning-optimization Diffusion Policy Approachcited by 3
  11. 2025Diffusion-Based Approximate MPC: Fast and Consistent Imitation of Multi-Modal Action Distributionscited by 3
  12. 2025How Well do Diffusion Policies Learn Kinematic Constraint Manifolds?cited by 3
20 more
  1. 2025Inference-stage Adaptation-projection Strategy Adapts Diffusion Policy to Cross-manipulators Scenarioscited by 2
  2. 2025SAD-Flower: Flow Matching for Safe, Admissible, and Dynamically Consistent Planningcited by 2
  3. 2025Model-Based Diffusion Sampling for Predictive Control in Offline Decision Makingcited by 2
  4. 2026PHDME: Physics-Informed Diffusion Models without Explicit Governing Equationscited by 2
  5. 2025MATT-Diff: Multimodal Active Target Tracking by Diffusion Policycited by 1
  6. 2026DiRecT: Safe Diffusion-Based Planning via Receding-Horizon Denoisingcited by 1
  7. 2026Grounding Generative Policies in Physics: Optimization-Guided Diffusion for Robot Controlcited by 1
  8. 2026Motion Planning with Model-Based Diffusion via Constraint Optimization and Adaptive Schedulingcited by 1
  9. 2025Flow-Opt: Scalable Centralized Multi-Robot Trajectory Optimization with Flow Matching and Differentiable Optimizationcited by 0
  10. 2026Warm-Starting Collision-Free Model Predictive Control With Object-Centric Diffusioncited by 0
  11. 2026Efficient Diffusion Models under Nonconvex Equality and Inequality constraints via Landingcited by 0
  12. 2026Conflict-Aware Additive Guidance for Flow Models under Compositional Rewardscited by 0
  13. 2026BayesFP: Posterior Estimation for Flow-Based Policies via Feynman-Kac Samplingcited by 0
  14. 2026SNAP-FM: Sparse Nonlinear Accelerated Projection for Physics-Constrained Generative Modelingcited by 0
  15. 2026D-SafeMPC: Diffusion-Driven Safe Model Predictive Control with Discrete-Time Control Barrier Functionscited by 0
  16. 2026D-IMPL: A Diffusion-based Solver for Parameterized BBOscited by 0
  17. 2026PredActor: Predictive Action Diffusion for Steerable Onboard Humanoid Controlcited by 0
  18. 2026Steer2Grasp: Inference-Time Embodiment-Aware Steering for Diverse Physically Feasible Grasp Diffusioncited by 0
  19. 2026Zero-Shot Reactive Obstacle Avoidance for Generative Robot Policiescited by 0
  20. 2026Learning to Explain While Planning: Rule-Aligned Diffusion Planning for Autonomous Drivingcited by 0

Similar, not cited

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  1. 2025Constrained Diffusers for Safe Planning and Control
  2. 2024Constraint-Aware Diffusion Models for Trajectory Optimization
  3. 2024Equality Constrained Diffusion for Direct Trajectory Optimization
  4. 2026Diffusion Sequence Models for Generative In-Context Meta-Learning of Robot Dynamics
  5. 2025Real-Time Iteration Scheme for Diffusion Policy
  6. 2026Model-Based Diffusion Optimal Control for Multi-Robot Motion Planning
  7. 2024Diffusion Policy Policy Optimization
  8. 2025Flexible Locomotion Learning with Diffusion Model Predictive Control