# AERMANI-Diffusion: Regime-Conditioned Diffusion for Dynamics Learning in Aerial Manipulators

arXiv: https://arxiv.org/abs/2512.10773 · HTML: https://mlsanity.com/paper/2512.10773/

## Key facts

- Cited by 2 papers in the map (data through 14 Oct 2026).
- First posted on arXiv 11 Dec 2025.

## Built on by (most cited first, 2 of 2)

- [Reinforcement Learning with Inner-loop Dynamics Estimator for Aerial Manipulation under Uncertainty](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2606.16621/) (2026)
- [UAVs Meet Embodied Intelligence: Bridging Human Intents and Flying Dynamics Via Harnessing Physical-Digital AI Agents](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2609.18326/) (2026)

## Abstract (arXiv)

Aerial manipulators undergo rapid, configuration-dependent changes in inertial coupling forces and aerodynamic forces, making accurate dynamics modeling a core challenge for reliable control. Analytical models lose fidelity under these nonlinear and nonstationary effects, while standard data-driven methods such as deep neural networks and Gaussian processes cannot represent the diverse residual behaviors that arise across different operating conditions. We propose a regime-conditioned diffusion framework that models the full distribution of residual forces using a conditional diffusion process and a lightweight temporal encoder. The encoder extracts a compact summary of recent motion and configuration, enabling consistent residual predictions even through abrupt transitions or unseen payloads. When combined with an adaptive controller, the framework enables dynamics uncertainty compensation and yields markedly improved tracking accuracy in real-world tests.