A methodology for creating and adapting reactive systems

Abstract

A methodology is presented for building integrated planning-reacting systems. The work is based on a formal process-based approach to building the reactive component; this makes it possible to formalize the concept of a planner improving a reactor. The planner design emphasizes how the planner can use the reactor to focus its reasoning, as well as how the reactor is guided by the planner to improve its behavior. The reactive component (the reactor) is based on a process-based model of robot computation, the RS model. This gives a powerful representation for actions with precise formal semantics. The duty of the planning component (the planner) is to adapt the reactor to suit a set of objectives and the possibilities afforded by the environment. Planner and reactor both operate continually, separately and in a complementary fashion.<>