Homeostatic control for a mobile robot: Dynamic replanning in hazardous environments

Abstract

Abstract A longstanding goal of robotics has been to introduce intelligent machines into environments dangerous to humans. These environments also pose hazards to the robots themselves. By embedding sensing devices as a means for monitoring the internal state of the robot, dynamic plan reformulation can occur in situations that threaten the existence of the robot. A method exploiting an analogy to the endocrine control system is forwarded as the preferred method for homeostatic control—the maintenance of a safe internal environment for the machine. Examples are given describing the impact of fuel reserve depletion and global temperature stress. A methodology using signal schemas as a means to supplement the existing motor schema control found in the Autonomous Robot Architecture (AuRA) is presented.