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arXiv · 2507.18888

Enhancing Robustness of Control Barrier Function: A Reciprocal Resistance-based Approach

Abstract

In this note, a new reciprocal resistance-based control barrier function (RRCBF) is developed to enhance the robustness of control barrier functions for disturbed affine nonlinear systems, without requiring explicit knowledge of disturbance bounds. By integrating a reciprocal resistance-like term into the conventional zeroing barrier function framework, we formally establish the concept of the reciprocal resistance-based barrier function (RRBF), rigorously proving the forward invariance of its associated safe set and its robustness against bounded disturbances. The RRBF inherently generates a buffer zone near the boundary of the safe set, effectively dominating the influence of uncertainties and external disturbances. This foundational concept is extended to formulate RRCBFs, including their high-order variants. To alleviate conservatism in the presence of complex, time-varying disturbances, we further introduce a disturbance observer-based RRCBF (DO-RRCBF), which exploits disturbance estimates to enhance safety guarantees and recover nominal control performance. The effectiveness of the proposed framework is validated through two simulation studies: a second-order linear system illustrating forward invariance in the phase plane, and an adaptive cruise control scenario demonstrating robustness in systems with high relative degree.

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Xinming Wang, Zongyi Guo, Jianguo Guo, Jun Yang, Yunda Yan. 2025-07-25. Enhancing Robustness of Control Barrier Function: A Reciprocal Resistance-based Approach. https://arxiv.org/abs/2507.18888

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