Accompanying Observation Modes and Software Architecture for Autonomous Robot Software

Abstract

To support robust task execution in open environment, autonomous robots (AR) should include reactive capabilities to cope with the dynamics and uncertainties from real-world environment. The uncertainties pose great challenges for robots being sensitive to the environmental changes and flexible to adjust self-behaviors. To this end, this paper aims to improve the sensing and acting capabilities of autonomous robots by novel behavioral theories, observation modes and software architectures. Specifically, this paper has three main contribution: (1) presents an accompanying model that specifies a novel accompanying pattern for interacting robot behaviors;(2) proposes four types of accompanying observation modes that coordinate multiple robot sensing behaviors; (3) proposes a concrete multi-agent software architecture that implements aforementioned accompanying model and accompanying observation modes. To demonstrate the applicability and validity of our accompanying modes and MAS-based software architecture, this paper conducts a case study to implement a domestic service example, which requires the robot to run in a highly dynamic environment and can adapt its behaviors to unexpected situations. *