Newsgroups: comp.robotics
Path: brunix!sgiblab!swrinde!cs.utexas.edu!howland.reston.ans.net!torn!watserv2.uwaterloo.ca!watserv1!liscano
From: liscano@watnow.waterloo.edu (Ramiro Liscano)
Subject: Re: Q: behavior based robotics & subsumption architecture
In-Reply-To: jr@faber.ka.sub.org's message of Mon, 28 Feb 1994 20:23:51 GMT
Message-ID: <LISCANO.94Mar1235436@watnow.waterloo.edu>
Sender: news@watserv1.uwaterloo.ca
Organization: University of Waterloo, Waterloo, Ontario, Canada
References: <CLyBBr.1t@faber.ka.sub.org>
Date: Wed, 2 Mar 1994 04:54:36 GMT
Lines: 44



   Dear Netters,

   I am looking for behavior-based approaches to (mobile) robot control
   like Brooks' subsumption architecture or anything similar. I would be
   happy to hear about

We have developed at the National Research Council in Canada a robotic
system with 2 behaviours. One is a basic obstacle avoidance algorithm
and the other a specific algorithm for crossing over open channels. We
have discovered that much of the navigation can be done using local
obstacle avoidance algorithms guided by a higher level path planner.
we have used a Blackboard Rule based system to arbitrate between the
behaviours. Events from both behaviours are posted onto the blackboard
and knowledge in the rule-based inference decides which behaviour is
in control of the vehicle. This has all been implemented using a
multi-processing operating system allowing for the sensing and
detection of features used in the behaviours to be operating in
parallel.

We have prefered this over subsumption mainly in the fact that it is
possible to add some form of higher level arbitration based on rules.
It has also allowed us to combine this with a path planner to guide
the obstacle avoidance behaviour.

   (1) which behaviors you implemented this way,
   (2) by which arbitration scheme you solved the action selection
   problem,
   (3) the limits you encountered organizing control this way,
   (4) any criticism of this approach you are aware of.

   If there is enough interest I will post a summary.

   Thank you for your attention and support

   - JR


--
Ramiro Liscano <liscano@watnow.uwaterloo.ca>
Systems Design Engineering
University of Waterloo

