CMSC 477/677 - Spring 2005
Discussion Questions for Class #8, February 24
Reading: Wooldridge Ch. 5.3, Arkin and Balch, "AuRA...".
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Basic concepts: What's a motor schema? What's an assemblage?
How are motor schemas integrated within an assemblage? How are
weights adjusted?
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Brooks's subsumption architecture uses suppression and inhibition to
coordinate layers. Motor schemas use weighted vector addition. Can
you think of domains or applications that would be particularly suited
for one or the other of these coordination mechanisms?
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What kinds of learning mechanisms can you imagine for a robot based on
motor schemas?
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AuRA is very tailored to robot behavior, and specifically robot
navigation. Do you think that AuRA's hybrid architecture would be
relevant for other types of tasks (e.g., robot activity using
effector systems other than movement; high-level reasoning tasks like
planning a trip; dynamic situation response tasks like air traffic
control; mixed reasoning/effecting tasks like shelving books in a
library)?
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AuRA purports to be a hybrid deliberative/reactive architecture.
Would you characterize it as primarily reactive, primarily
deliberative, or an equal mix?
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Would you call the kind of reasoning that AuRA uses in its "Mission
Planner" planning? What issues would there be in integrating more
sophisticated planning methods (e.g., partial-order planning, HTN
planning) into the AuRA architecture?