Abstract: It's common in controller design to assume that the controller reads the sensors and writes to the actuators at the same time instant. This assumption is often violated in practice because the controller executes its code sequentially on a microprocessor. If the microprocessor is "fast enough," often the controller will still work.

Abstract: Optimization algorithms used in a real-time and safety-critical context offer the potential for considerably advancing robotic and autonomous systems by improving their ability to execute complex missions. However, this promise cannot happen without proper attention to the considerably stronger operational constraints that real time, safety-critical applications must meet, unlike their non-real-time, desktop counterparts.