Human management of a hierarchical system for the control of multiple mobile robots

Abstract

In order to take advantage of autonomous robotic systems, and yet ensure successful completion of all feasible tasks, we propose a mediation hierarchy in which an operator can interact at all system levels. Robotic systems are not robust in handling un-modeled events. Reactive behaviors may be able to guide the robot back into a modeled state and to continue. Reasoning systems may simply fail. Once a system has failed it is difficult to re-start the task from the failed state. Rather, the rule base is revised, programs altered, and the task re-tried from the beginning.