A Comprehensive Method for Reachability Analysis of Uncertain Nonlinear Hybrid Systems

Reachability analysis of nonlinear uncertain hybrid systems, i.e., continuous-discrete dynamical systems whose continuous dynamics, guard sets and reset functions are defined by nonlinear functions, can be decomposed in three algorithmic steps: computing the reachable set when the system is in a given operation mode, computing the discrete transitions, i.e., detecting and localizing when (and where) the continuous flowpipe intersects the guard sets, and aggregating the multiple trajectories that result from an uncertain transition once the whole flow-pipe has transitioned so that the algorithm can resume. This paper proposes a comprehensive method that provides a nicely integrated solution to the hybrid reachability problem. At the core of the method is the concept of MSPB, i.e., geometrical object obtained as the Minkowski sum of a parallelotope and an axes aligned box. MSPB are a way to control the over-approximation of the Taylor's interval integration method. As they happen to be a specific type of zonotope, they articulate perfectly with the zonotope bounding method that we propose to enclose in an optimal way the set of flowpipe trajectories generated by the transition process. The method is evaluated both theoretically by analyzing its complexity and empirically by applying it to well-chosen hybrid nonlinear examples.