Implementing schema-theoretic models of animal behavior in robotic systems

Abstract

Formal models of animal sensorimotor behavior can provide effective methods for generating robotic intelligence. We describe how schema-theoretic models of the praying mantis are implemented on a hexapod robot equipped with a real-time color vision system. The model upon which the implementation is based was developed by ethologists studying mantids. This implementation incorporates a wide range of behaviors, including obstacle avoidance, prey acquisition, predator avoidance, mating, and chantlitaxia behaviors.