Coordinating, Planning and Control

Abstract

The research was devoted to the design of complex systems for applications in robotics, automated manufacturing, and time-critical decision support systems. In exploring the issues involved in the design of such systems, they investigated techniques from artificial intelligence, control theory, operations research, and the decision sciences. In the process, they attempted to draw correspondences between concepts from the various fields. However, this work was not intended as a grand unification of these disciplines, even as they pertain to the specific issues of interest. Instead, they presented tools from these areas as component technologies, each playing a pivotal role in the design of complex autonomous systems.