Bio-inspired architecture for a reactive-deliberative robot controller

Abstract

An incremental, bio-inspired control architecture for robots is proposed. The architecture is composed of two layers where each layer is intended to react in an analogous way to how our brain reacts to external and internal stimuli, using instinctive or deliberative reactions. The first layer, the Drive/Emotional Controller (DE Controller), uses Action Programs which are instinctual, low-level responses to a certain external stimuli. The second layer, the Deliberative/Reflective Controller (DR Controller), can only react to changes in the internal state of the DE controller. Memory, self-reflection, feelings and imagination are some of the concepts that could be considered by the DR Controller architecture, which is intended to generate high-level conscious reactions. These controllers integrate emotions into standard behavior-based architectures. We tested the proposed architecture in a task of free exploration using MODI, a two-wheeled mobile robot. Two DR controllers are tested in three different scenarios validating the proposed architecture in robotic applications.