Multifunctionality: A Fundamental Property of Behavior Mechanisms Based on Dynamical Systems

Abstract

The mechanisms supporting robot behaviors are increasingly often designed as dynamical systems. Such mechanisms are inherently multifunctional. This means that they can exhibit di#erent qualitative behavior in di#erent circumstances. Multifunctionality makes system design di#cult. On the other hand, it may be beneficial for adaptiveness, since it allows qualitative changes in a robot's behaviors without changing the supporting mechanisms.