mlsanityData to 14 Oct 2026

Constraint-Aware Diffusion Guidance for Robotics: Real-Time Obstacle Avoidance for Autonomous Racing

arXiv 2505.13131 ↗First posted 19 May 2025cs.RO cs.SY eess.SYcited by 11

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

Abstract (arXiv)

Diffusion models hold great potential in robotics due to their ability to capture complex, high-dimensional data distributions. However, their lack of constraint-awareness limits their deployment in safety-critical applications. We propose Constraint-Aware Diffusion Guidance (CoDiG), a data-efficient and general-purpose framework that integrates barrier functions into the denoising process, guiding diffusion sampling toward constraint-satisfying outputs. CoDiG enables constraint satisfaction even with limited training data and generalizes across tasks. We evaluate our framework in the challenging setting of miniature autonomous racing, where real-time obstacle avoidance is essential. Real-world experiments show that CoDiG generates safe outputs efficiently under dynamic conditions, highlighting its potential for broader robotic applications. A demonstration video is available at https://youtu.be/KNYsTdtdxOU.

Key facts. Cited by 11 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 30 of its 41 references that are in the map. First posted on arXiv 19 May 2025.

Builds on

30 of 41 references.

Closest ancestors · 12

Same direction, newest first

  1. 2025Diffusion Models for Robotic Manipulation: A Survey11 Apr
  2. 2024Diffusion Predictive Control with Constraints12 Dec
  3. 2024Learning Diverse Robot Striking Motions with Diffusion Models and Kinematically Constrained Gradient Guidance23 Sep
  4. 2024Diffusion Augmented Agents: A Framework for Efficient Exploration and Transfer Learning30 Jul
  5. 2024LDP: A Local Diffusion Planner for Efficient Robot Navigation and Collision Avoidance2 Jul
  6. 2024CGD: Constraint-Guided Diffusion Policies for UAV Trajectory Planning2 May
  7. 2023Motion Planning Diffusion: Learning and Planning of Robot Motions with Diffusion Models3 Aug
  8. 2023Trajectory Generation, Control, and Safety with Denoising Diffusion Probabilistic Models27 Jun
  9. 2023SafeDiffuser: Safe Planning with Diffusion Probabilistic Models31 May
  10. 2023Diffusion Policy: Visuomotor Policy Learning via Action Diffusion7 Mar
  11. 2023AdaptDiffuser: Diffusion Models as Adaptive Self-evolving Planners3 Feb
  12. 2022SE(3)-DiffusionFields: Learning smooth cost functions for joint grasp and motion optimization through diffusion8 Sep

Other references · 18

  1. 2020Denoising Diffusion Probabilistic Modelscited by 21,076
  2. 2021High-Resolution Image Synthesis with Latent Diffusion Modelscited by 18,863
  3. 2020Denoising Diffusion Implicit Modelscited by 9,781
  4. 2020Score-Based Generative Modeling through Stochastic Differential Equationscited by 9,122
  5. 2015Deep Unsupervised Learning using Nonequilibrium Thermodynamicscited by 7,058
  6. 2022Classifier-Free Diffusion Guidancecited by 5,847
  7. 2022Video Diffusion Modelscited by 2,305
  8. 2021Cascaded Diffusion Models for High Fidelity Image Generationcited by 1,163
  9. 2020Improved Techniques for Training Score-Based Generative Modelscited by 1,043
  10. 2022Fast Sampling of Diffusion Models with Exponential Integratorcited by 532
  11. 2021Conditional Image Generation with Score-Based Diffusion Modelscited by 197
  12. 2021Diff-TTS: A Denoising Diffusion Model for Text-to-Speechcited by 157
6 more
  1. 2024Constrained Synthesis with Projected Diffusion Modelscited by 89
  2. 2016Variational Fourier features for Gaussian processescited by 85
  3. 2023Aligning Optimization Trajectories with Diffusion Models for Constrained Design Generationcited by 52
  4. 2024Offline Safe Reinforcement Learning Using Trajectory Classificationcited by 9
  5. 2022Chronos and CRS: Design of a miniature car-like robot and a software framework for single and multi-agent robotics and controlcited by 5
  6. 2024Optimization-Based System Identification and Moving Horizon Estimation Using Low-Cost Sensors for a Miniature Car-Like Robotcited by 2

Built on by

Cited by year (2026 to 14 Oct)

Citing papers per year: 2025: 1; 2026: 10.

11 papers.

  1. 2025SAD-Flower: Flow Matching for Safe, Admissible, and Dynamically Consistent Planningcited by 3
  2. 2026Constrained Flow Optimization via Sequential Fine Tuning for Molecular Designcited by 3
  3. 2026Grounding Generative Policies in Physics: Optimization-Guided Diffusion for Robot Controlcited by 2
  4. 2026DualShield: Safe Model Predictive Diffusion via Reachability Analysis for Interactive Autonomous Drivingcited by 1
  5. 2026hint2: Hierarchical World Models for Inference-Time Temporal Logic Guidancecited by 1
  6. 2026Efficient Diffusion Models under Nonconvex Equality and Inequality constraints via Landingcited by 0
  7. 2026Decoupled Guidance Diffusion for Adaptive Offline Safe Reinforcement Learningcited by 0
  8. 2026Guided Diffusion with Distilled Vision-Language Reliability for Aerial Navigationcited by 0
  9. 2026VANDERER: Map-Free Exploration using Future-Aware and Visual-Curiosity-Guided Diffusion Policycited by 0
  10. 2026Safe Streaming Flow Planning by Aligning Sampling Dynamics with Execution Dynamicscited by 0
  11. 2026Risk-Averse Inference-Time Diffusion Model Alignment with Finite-Sample Guaranteescited by 0

Similar, not cited

Close in wording, no citation either way

  1. 2026Motion Planning with Model-Based Diffusion via Constraint Optimization and Adaptive Scheduling
  2. 2025CAPE: Context-Aware Diffusion Policy Via Proximal Mode Expansion for Collision Avoidance
  3. 2024Constraint-Aware Diffusion Models for Trajectory Optimization
  4. 2025Constrained Diffusers for Safe Planning and Control
  5. 2024Diffusion-ES: Gradient-free Planning with Diffusion for Autonomous Driving and Zero-Shot Instruction Following
  6. 2023Denoising Heat-inspired Diffusion with Insulators for Collision Free Motion Planning
  7. 2025DynaGuide: Steering Diffusion Polices with Active Dynamic Guidance
  8. 2026Diffusion Forcing Planner: History-Annealed Planning with Time-Dependent Guidance for Autonomous Driving