Abstract

Industrially deployed robots are currently very dependent on human guidance and support. They rely on operator intervention to maintain a stable, known environment within which they perform specific well-defined tasks. Such constraints limit the extent to which robots can be employed. Many useful applications await the development of self-reliant, autonomous robotsapplications ranging from exploring Mars to cleaning factory floors. New design techniques are evolving to meet this challenge. One technique that has met with considerable success is "behaviour-based" control. In this form of control, the modules or "behaviours" within the robot's control system take their cues primarily from the environment, rather than from each other as in more traditional schemes. Robots constructed in this way need to make fewer assumptions about their environment, and so are more robust. However, it can be difficult to control the interaction of such behaviours. In this thesis, a novel scheme for orchestrating the actions of collections of behaviours is presented, and implemented on a physical robot.

Citations