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R. Brooks, A Robust Layered Control System for a Mobile Robot. IEEE Journal of Robotics and Automation, 2 (1), 1986.

Author of the summary: J. William Murdock, 1997, murdock@cc.gatech.edu

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Keywords: Subsumption Architecture, Robotics

Systems: An unnamed simulation of a robot and an unnamed robot.

Summary: Discusses the basic desirable characteristics of robots
(robustness, extensibility, etc.) and argues that past work in
robotics lacks these characteristics.  Presents a set of basic
propositions about robotics: robots should be simple in nature but
flexible in behavior, capable of acting autonomously over long periods
of time in uncertain, noisy, realistic, and changing worlds, etc.
States that past work in robotics has divided the general control
problem into "horizontal" components: sensing, planning, execution,
etc.  Argues that a better approach is to divide competence up into
levels of abstractness (e.g. moving about, navigating, exploring,
reasoning, planning, etc.) in which higher levels impose control over
lower ones.  Terms this approach "subsumption architecture."
Describes a language for representing such an architecture.  Describes
a preliminary system which implements the lowest levels of such an
architecture.  Describes a simulated and an actual robot which use
this system.

Summary author's notes:


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