mlsanityData to 14 Oct 2026

Diffusion-based Planning with Learned Viability Filters

arXiv 2502.19564 ↗First posted 26 Feb 2025cs.RO cs.LGcited by 2

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

Abstract (arXiv)

Diffusion models can be used as a motion planner by sampling from a distribution of possible futures. However, the samples may not satisfy hard constraints that exist only implicitly in the training data, e.g., avoiding falls or not colliding with a wall. We propose learned viability filters that efficiently predict the future success of any given plan, i.e., diffusion sample, and thereby enforce an implicit future-success constraint. Multiple viability filters can also be composed together. We demonstrate the approach on detailed footstep planning for challenging 3D human locomotion tasks, showing the effectiveness of viability filters in performing online planning and control for box-climbing, step-over walls, and obstacle avoidance. We further show that using viability filters is significantly faster than guidance-based diffusion prediction.

Key facts. Cited by 2 papers in the map (data through 14 Oct 2026). Placed in Diffusion and flow policies for robotics, one of 14 directions in Diffusion models. Builds on 42 of its 56 references that are in the map. First posted on arXiv 26 Feb 2025.

Builds on

42 of 56 references.

Closest ancestors · 10

Same direction, newest first

  1. 2024DIAR: Diffusion-model-guided Implicit Q-learning with Adaptive Revaluation15 Oct
  2. 2024Gen-Drive: Enhancing Diffusion Generative Driving Policies with Reward Modeling and Reinforcement Learning Fine-tuning8 Oct
  3. 2024PDP: Physics-Based Character Animation via Diffusion Policy3 Jun
  4. 2023A Diffusion-Model of Joint Interactive Navigation21 Sep
  5. 2023Reasoning with Latent Diffusion in Offline Reinforcement Learning12 Sep
  6. 2023Trace and Pace: Controllable Pedestrian Animation via Guided Trajectory Diffusion4 Apr
  7. 2023Diffusion Policy: Visuomotor Policy Learning via Action Diffusion7 Mar
  8. 2022Is Conditional Generative Modeling all you need for Decision-Making?28 Nov
  9. 2022Guided Conditional Diffusion for Controllable Traffic Simulation31 Oct
  10. 2022Diffusion Policies as an Expressive Policy Class for Offline Reinforcement Learning12 Aug

Other references · 32

  1. 2015Deep Residual Learning for Image Recognitioncited by 52,096
  2. 2014Adam: A Method for Stochastic Optimizationcited by 37,240
  3. 2020Denoising Diffusion Probabilistic Modelscited by 21,076
  4. 2021High-Resolution Image Synthesis with Latent Diffusion Modelscited by 18,863
  5. 2017Proximal Policy Optimization Algorithmscited by 15,215
  6. 2020Denoising Diffusion Implicit Modelscited by 9,781
  7. 2021Diffusion Models Beat GANs on Image Synthesiscited by 8,255
  8. 2015Deep Unsupervised Learning using Nonequilibrium Thermodynamicscited by 7,058
  9. 2022Hierarchical Text-Conditional Image Generation with CLIP Latentscited by 6,585
  10. 2022Classifier-Free Diffusion Guidancecited by 5,847
  11. 2021Improved Denoising Diffusion Probabilistic Modelscited by 3,761
  12. 2013Playing Atari with Deep Reinforcement Learningcited by 3,274
20 more
  1. 2022Video Diffusion Modelscited by 2,305
  2. 2021SDEdit: Guided Image Synthesis and Editing with Stochastic Differential Equationscited by 1,937
  3. 2020DiffWave: A Versatile Diffusion Model for Audio Synthesiscited by 1,354
  4. 2022Planning with Diffusion for Flexible Behavior Synthesiscited by 1,061
  5. 2023Zero-shot Image-to-Image Translationcited by 505
  6. 2022Flexible Diffusion Modeling of Long Videoscited by 294
  7. 2023Guided Motion Diffusion for Controllable Human Motion Synthesiscited by 223
  8. 2020Recovery RL: Safe Reinforcement Learning with Learned Recovery Zonescited by 175
  9. 2020Learning to be Safe: Deep RL with a Safety Criticcited by 116
  10. 2024Constrained Synthesis with Projected Diffusion Modelscited by 89
  11. 2023Reflected Diffusion Modelscited by 87
  12. 2020ALLSTEPS: Curriculum-driven Learning of Stepping Stone Skillscited by 54
  13. 2024DiffuseLoco: Real-Time Legged Locomotion Control with Diffusion from Offline Datasetscited by 49
  14. 2022Predictive Sampling: Real-time Behaviour Synthesis with MuJoCocited by 47
  15. 2023Mirror Diffusion Models for Constrained and Watermarked Generationcited by 42
  16. 2023Metropolis Sampling for Constrained Diffusion Modelscited by 28
  17. 2023Learning Whole-body Manipulation for Quadrupedal Robotcited by 25
  18. 2023Sampling-Based Motion Planning: A Comparative Reviewcited by 21
  19. 2023Don't be so negative! Score-based Generative Modeling with Oracle-assisted Guidancecited by 6
  20. 2024Safety Optimized Reinforcement Learning via Multi-Objective Policy Optimizationcited by 4

Built on by

Cited by year (2026 to 14 Oct)

Citing papers per year: 2026: 2.

2 papers.

  1. 2026Improving Diffusion Planners by Self-Supervised Action Gating with Energiescited by 1
  2. 2026Robo-Saber: Generating and Simulating Virtual Reality Playerscited by 0

Similar, not cited

Close in wording, no citation either way

  1. 2023SafeDiffuser: Safe Planning with Diffusion Probabilistic Models
  2. 2025Non-differentiable Reward Optimization for Diffusion-based Autonomous Motion Planning
  3. 2025Constrained Diffusers for Safe Planning and Control
  4. 2024PRESTO: Fast Motion Planning Using Diffusion Models Based on Key-Configuration Environment Representation
  5. 2024Dynamic Obstacle Avoidance through Uncertainty-Based Adaptive Planning with Diffusion
  6. 2026Graph-Guided Safe Diffuser: Topological Graph Guidance for Safe Diffusion Planning ↗
  7. 2025Constraint-Aware Diffusion Guidance for Robotics: Real-Time Obstacle Avoidance for Autonomous Racing
  8. 2023Motion Planning Diffusion: Learning and Planning of Robot Motions with Diffusion Models