ROBOT SIMULATION STUDIES : DESCRIPTIONS AND PLANS

ID
TR-72-03
Authors
Peter F. Rowat and Richard S. Rosenberg
Abstract
The problem of designing a robot-controller is approached by taking a simplified, computer-simulated, model of a robot in an environment, and writing programs to enable the robot to move around its environment in a reasonably intelligent manner. At no point is mathematical logic used. The problems of concept representation and the creation and execution of plans are dealt with in this simple system, and the problem of exploration is encountered but not satisfactorily dealt with. ROSS, an interactive computer program which simulates the robot-environment model, is described. A command language allows the user to specify tasks for the robot at various conceptual levels. Several problems are listed concerning the ways in which a robot might explore, represent, and make plans about, its environment, most of which are amenable to direct attack in this simplified model. Finally, theoretical questions concerning two-dimensional rectanguloid shapes are raised.